heretofore

adverb

here·​to·​fore ˈhir-tə-ˌfȯr 

ˌhir-tə-ˈfȯr

: up to this time : hitherto

heretofore unimaginable possibilities

I tell you now what we have heretofore kept secret from you

—A. C. Whitehead

Synonyms of heretofore

• yet
• so far

Examples of heretofore in a Sentence

Heretofore her writing has never displayed such depth of feeling.

This technology has created heretofore unimaginable possibilities.

Recent Examples on the Web

Undertone helmer Tuason is a Toronto-based creative heretofore best known for his live-action virtual reality horror shorts, which have garnered over 14M organic views on YouTube. —Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 Jan. 2026

But the movie cannot shed his woolly energy, which puts any no-name side character at risk of dropping an impassioned soliloquy about some heretofore-unexamined personal drama. —David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025

But there’s been nothing like this administration, where the president has fired members of heretofore independent agencies. —John E. Jones Iii, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2025

Having weathered so many punches heretofore, the viewer is more likely to be numb than moved. —Derek Robertson, The Washington Examiner, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heretofore

• conquistador
• forevermore
• hereinbefore
• kinetochore
• kwashiorkor
• abhor
• abor
• adore
• afore
• ardour
• ashore
• backdoor

Kids Definition

heretofore

adverb

here·​to·​fore ˈhi(ə)rt-ə-ˌfō(ə)r 

-ˌfȯ(ə)r;

ˌhirt-ə-ˈfō(ə)r, 

-ˈfȯ(ə)r

: up to this time