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
Tennis fans continue to fill the stands prior to the start of the singles finals of the Dallas Open men's tennis tournament was held at Ford Center at The Star in Frisco on February 15, 2026.
—Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
Information about the Bilt Palladium Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
Actor Kurt Russell will serve as the honorary pace car driver and Texas singer Miranda Lambert will perform a concert prior to the race.
—Katey Psencik, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
Carter prior to helming the Hornets served as assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Arizona Wildcats of the FBS-level Big 12.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 15 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prior to
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Dallas Morning News, 16 Feb. 2026
Information about the Bilt Palladium Card has been collected independently by Select and has not been reviewed or provided by the issuer of the card prior to publication.
—Jason Stauffer, CNBC, 16 Feb. 2026
Actor Kurt Russell will serve as the honorary pace car driver and Texas singer Miranda Lambert will perform a concert prior to the race.
—Katey Psencik, Austin American Statesman, 15 Feb. 2026
Carter prior to helming the Hornets served as assistant head coach and running backs coach for the Arizona Wildcats of the FBS-level Big 12.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 15 Feb. 2026
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 20 Feb. 2026.
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