prior to

preposition

: in advance of : before
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.

page makeup decisions are verified and approved prior to typesetting 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As the controversy surrounding Allen, Mia, Dylan and Previn entered the spotlight again in the wake of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements, Keaton — who was romantically involved with Allen prior to his relationship with Mia — stood firmly behind him. Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025 Kazakhstan's players stand during their national anthem prior to the start of the FIFA World cup 2026 1st round day 6, Group J qualification football match between Belgium and Kazakhstan, at the Lotto Park stadium in Anderlecht, Brussels Capital Region, on September 7, 2025. Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025 Toews was a Chicago Blackhawks icon for 1,067 games prior to the health problems that took him away from hockey. Murat Ates, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 The statement did not address the sanctions implemented by the university or what members were doing prior to the medical emergency. Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 9 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for prior to

Word History

First Known Use

1706, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of prior to was in 1706

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Cite this Entry

“Prior to.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prior%20to. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

prior to

preposition
: in advance of : before

More from Merriam-Webster on prior to

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