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
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
Meghan and her father have been publicly estranged since prior to her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.
—Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Dec. 2025
But he got downgraded to doubtful two hours later this time, before being listed as out with a little over an hour prior to tipoff versus Toronto.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Dec. 2025
Smith was the team's cornerbacks coach and associate head coach prior to Franklin's firing.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
An autopsy determined that the child was born alive outside a hospital and had not been fed for about 24 hours prior to his death.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 5 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prior to
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Lauren Huff, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Dec. 2025
But he got downgraded to doubtful two hours later this time, before being listed as out with a little over an hour prior to tipoff versus Toronto.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 6 Dec. 2025
Smith was the team's cornerbacks coach and associate head coach prior to Franklin's firing.
—Evan Massey, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2025
An autopsy determined that the child was born alive outside a hospital and had not been fed for about 24 hours prior to his death.
—Tim Fang, CBS News, 5 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 13 Dec. 2025.
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