Usage of Prior to
Although prior to is occasionally criticized as a pretentious way of saying before, it is well-established in formal contexts, such as the annual reports of corporations. In some of these contexts, it serves to emphasize the procedural nature of something.
page makeup decisions are verified and approved prior to typesetting
—
Publishers Weekly
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
In Iceland, totality will cross the west coast in the early evening, while Spain will see a total solar eclipse low in the northwestern sky just prior to sunset.
—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
In fact, prior to Clark's rookie season, Sports Media Watch noted that the league had gone nearly 16 years without a seven-figure television audience.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
In 2024 Manobal launched Lloud, her own artist management company, prior to the rollout of Alter Ego, her debut studio album.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
23 June 2026
Two months prior to the deal, Canada and Germany had signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Artificial Intelligence and launched a sovereign technology alliance.
—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prior to
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Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
23 June 2026
In fact, prior to Clark's rookie season, Sports Media Watch noted that the league had gone nearly 16 years without a seven-figure television audience.
—
Dan Zaksheske Outkick,
FOXNews.com,
23 June 2026
In 2024 Manobal launched Lloud, her own artist management company, prior to the rollout of Alter Ego, her debut studio album.
—
José Criales-Unzueta,
Vanity Fair,
23 June 2026
Two months prior to the deal, Canada and Germany had signed a Joint Declaration of Intent on Artificial Intelligence and launched a sovereign technology alliance.
—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prior to
Cite this Entry
“Prior to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prior%20to. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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