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
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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
The nonprofit says the defendants were supposed to submit those plans to the National Capital Planning Commission, the Commission of Fine Arts and Congress prior to demolition and construction.
—Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
One is that for all or most of the people ensnared in the slave trade, their lives were undoubtedly better before capture and their ancestors’ lives were better for generations upon generations prior to enslavement.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
This was by design, as Brown explained in an interview prior to the event.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Consequences for the former duke came slowly over more than a decade prior to his ultimate royal eviction.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prior to
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Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 12 Dec. 2025
One is that for all or most of the people ensnared in the slave trade, their lives were undoubtedly better before capture and their ancestors’ lives were better for generations upon generations prior to enslavement.
—Literary Hub, 12 Dec. 2025
This was by design, as Brown explained in an interview prior to the event.
—Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 12 Dec. 2025
Consequences for the former duke came slowly over more than a decade prior to his ultimate royal eviction.
—Meredith Kile, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
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 15 Dec. 2025.
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