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.
Under Michigan's 1963 constitution, candidates for Michigan governor must be at least 30 years old, U.S. citizens and residents of Michigan who were registered to vote in Michigan for at least four years prior to the election. Paul Egan, Freep.com, 14 July 2025 Virden served as the Conway County district judge from 2012-2014 prior to his election to the state Court of Appeals in 2014. arkansasonline.com, 14 July 2025 Zac Gallen #23 of the Arizona Diamondbacks looks on from the mound with teammates Eugenio Suarez #28 and catcher Gabriel Moreno #14 prior to leaveg a game against... Aaliyan Mohammed, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025 Led by frontman Freddie Mercury, the band was on the brink of breaking up prior to the performance. Janelle Ash, FOXNews.com, 13 July 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 21 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

prior to

preposition
: in advance of : before

More from Merriam-Webster on prior to

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