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
The 2026 contestants' Instagram and TikTok profiles are frozen in time, showcasing their final adventures and accomplishments (like Kenzie Annis graduating from nursing school) before they were sequestered in May, prior to their debuts in the Fijian villa.
—Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Prosecutors say Thomas allegedly assaulted the woman on a bus prior to the incident at the restaurant.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Minnesota State Patrol crash reconstruction data showed his 2013 Nissan Pathfinder was traveling 62-63 mph at the point of impact, but had been traveling 81 mph five seconds prior to the crash and 75 mph four seconds before the crash.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 9 June 2026
Standard & Poor’s, for example, waits until a stock has been publicly traded for at least a year and has turned a profit in four quarters, including the quarter prior to its addition.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for prior to
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Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Prosecutors say Thomas allegedly assaulted the woman on a bus prior to the incident at the restaurant.
—Dejanay Booth-Singleton, CBS News, 10 June 2026
Minnesota State Patrol crash reconstruction data showed his 2013 Nissan Pathfinder was traveling 62-63 mph at the point of impact, but had been traveling 81 mph five seconds prior to the crash and 75 mph four seconds before the crash.
—Nick Ferraro, Twin Cities, 9 June 2026
Standard & Poor’s, for example, waits until a stock has been publicly traded for at least a year and has turned a profit in four quarters, including the quarter prior to its addition.
—Business Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 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 11 Jun. 2026.
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