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

The Lower Lakes will see snowy periods in the days prior to Christmas and through the new year, and those on the roads should plan for more time to get to their festivities. —Joe Edwards, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Nov. 2025

Then, in 2013, the coroner’s report was updated to reflect that Wood’s bodily injuries may have occurred prior to her drowning. —Alex Gurley, PEOPLE, 29 Nov. 2025

Rather than having to track down ice at every turn, just pop this case and its TSA-compliant ice packs in the freezer prior to departure to keep your medication safe while in the air. —Carin Ryan, Travel + Leisure, 28 Nov. 2025

Proteins have a complex physical shape, and prior to Alphafold, describing those shapes required time-consuming and expensive lab experiments. —Jeremy Kahn, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2025

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