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

• hitherto
• theretofore
• yet

Example Sentences

Heretofore her writing has never displayed such depth of feeling.

This technology has created heretofore unimaginable possibilities.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Education Department located a heretofore obscure corner of the 2003 Heroes Act that supposedly justified mass loan cancellations owing to the Covid emergency. —The Editorial Board, WSJ, 1 Dec. 2022

Everyone will at least see the Mainline Sports Bar, located in the racetrack's ground-floor main hall, just north of the paddock and between the main elevator and what has heretofore been Oaklawn's longest row of teller stations. —Arkansas Online, 5 Dec. 2022

Put him in the Eastern Conference, and the Heat’s challenge over the next decade could rise to levels arguably heretofore unseen during the Pat Riley era. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 12 Nov. 2022

After falling hard for Ferdinand, Prince of Naples (a terrific Ro Boddie), Prospero’s heretofore innocent daughter, Miranda (Megan Graves, priceless), shifts abruptly into come-hither mode, to hilarious effect. —Celia Wren, Washington Post, 1 Dec. 2022

That put the Spurs ahead by 20 over heretofore hapless Oklahoma City. —Jeff Mcdonald, San Antonio Express-News, 30 Nov. 2022

And while Musk has made big promises to expand the platform’s user base, one of the factors that has heretofore prevented this expansion is the site’s propensity for enabling abuse and harassment. —Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 6 Oct. 2022

The call-up means the war will enter the homes of most Russians in a way that Mr. Putin has heretofore avoided. —Adrian Karatnycky, WSJ, 27 Sep. 2022

The global fragrance industry has been intoxicated by the notion that the genetics of smell could help them to entice heretofore reluctant consumers. —Abigail Tucker, Smithsonian Magazine, 22 Sep. 2022

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Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

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