prior to

preposition

: in advance of : before
Usage of Prior to

Sometimes termed pompous or affected, prior to is a synonym of before that most often appears in rather formal contexts, such as the annual reports of corporations. It may occasionally emphasize the notion of anticipation.

page makeup decisions are verified and approved prior to typesetting Publishers Weekly

Examples of prior to in a Sentence

make sure all revisions are approved by the author prior to publication
Recent Examples on the Web And prior to that, Wonder hadn’t played Minnesota since 1986. Ross Raihala, Twin Cities, 28 Oct. 2024 Advertisement Most people reported eating a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder prior to becoming ill, and the Food and Drug Administration focused its investigation on the burger’s beef patties and slivered onions, according to the CDC. Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2024 Trial laps conducted prior to the final event allow teams to tune their algorithms for various events. Sabbir Rangwala, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 The sevenfold price increase, to $33,000, is due to the fact that the composition of vintages made prior to 2015 included only 10 percent ungrafted vines and older grape varieties. Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 27 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prior to 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prior to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prior to was in 1706

Dictionary Entries Near prior to

Cite this Entry

“Prior to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prior%20to. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

prior to

preposition
: in advance of : before

More from Merriam-Webster on prior to

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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