prior to

preposition

: in advance of : before

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

Synonyms of prior to

• before
• previous to
• to

Examples of prior to in a Sentence

make sure all revisions are approved by the author prior to publication

Recent Examples on the Web

Because so many pairs of that year’s Air Jordan 1 collaboration wound up on the resale market prior to the release date, and because so few people reported actually landing the sneakers upon launch, allegations spread that the shoes had been sold privately and early to select people. —Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 2 June 2026

Days prior to Swift's announcement, fans suspected her involvement in the latest Toy Story installment after Pixar put up billboards in cities including Chicago, Los Angeles, London and more. —Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 2 June 2026

But Adelman also thrived at instilling confidence in players like Delk, a former star at the University of Kentucky who struggled with the Golden State Warriors prior to signing with the Kings in August 1999. —Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 2 June 2026

Ayers was seen with Dart’s family on the sideline prior to the Giants’ 33-15 loss to the New England Patriots in early December. —Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 2 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for prior to

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

prior to

preposition

: in advance of : before