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

On the eighth floor, The Sky Room’s floor-to-ceiling windows look out across the South Side, framing city views heretofore unseen. —Sam Cochran, Architectural Digest, 4 June 2026

Combined with the sweaty temps, my neighborhood is seeing mushroom variants heretofore unknown to science. —Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 27 May 2026

This book isolated and made analyzable things which had heretofore floated along unnoticed in the broad stream of perception. —Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026

Add to all this that capital outlays frequently unearth new productive leaps heretofore not thought of, and a quick completion of this merger becomes more pressing. —John Tamny, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for heretofore

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

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