Usage of Prior to
Sometimes termed pompous or affected, prior to is a synonym of before that most often appears in rather formal contexts, such as the annual reports of corporations. It may occasionally emphasize the notion of anticipation.
Publishers Weekly
Synonyms
Examples of prior to in a Sentence
Lisa Respers France, CNN, 4 Sep. 2024
As Storey, who races for Britain, explained to BBC Sports, women cyclists generally expect to race at least 22 kilometers for a championship event, which was the case in the most recent Paralympic Games prior to Paris.
—Jenny McCoy, SELF, 4 Sep. 2024
Why that had such a big effect on markets is that a soft landing was a very strong consensus prior to this month.
—Steven Ehrlich, Forbes, 4 Sep. 2024
Catch up quick: The company had raised a total of $150 million prior to this debt round, including $80 million in August 2023.
—Aaron Weitzman, Axios, 4 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for prior to 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prior to.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near prior to
Cite this Entry
“Prior to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prior%20to. Accessed 14 Sep. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share