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
Hawerchuk’s mentorship of Scheifele is well known — first as his junior coach in Barrie, then during Scheifele’s NHL career prior to Hawerchuk’s death in 2020.
—Murat Ates, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
According to the Star Tribune, park service officials did not answer questions about whether law enforcement responded to the call prior to the father and son's deaths being reported June 8.
—Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 25 Oct. 2025
The businesswoman wore the same pumps just hours prior to the ceremony while meeting members of the Spanish royal family, including King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2025
The league determined Porter gave a bettor information about his own health status prior to that game and said that another individual — known to be an NBA bettor — placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2025
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Murat Ates, New York Times, 25 Oct. 2025
According to the Star Tribune, park service officials did not answer questions about whether law enforcement responded to the call prior to the father and son's deaths being reported June 8.
—Eva Wen, jsonline.com, 25 Oct. 2025
The businesswoman wore the same pumps just hours prior to the ceremony while meeting members of the Spanish royal family, including King Felipe, Queen Letizia, and their daughters, Princess Leonor and Princess Sofia.
—Kelsey Stewart, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2025
The league determined Porter gave a bettor information about his own health status prior to that game and said that another individual — known to be an NBA bettor — placed an $80,000 bet that Porter would not hit the numbers set for him in parlays through an online sports book.
—Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 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 8 Nov. 2025.
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