heretofore
adverb
here·to·fore
ˈhir-tə-ˌfȯr 
ˌhir-tə-ˈfȯr
: up to this time : hitherto
heretofore unimaginable possibilities
I tell you now what we have heretofore kept secret from you—
A. C. Whitehead
A. C. WhiteheadExamples of heretofore in a Sentence
Heretofore her writing has never displayed such depth of feeling.
This technology has created heretofore unimaginable possibilities.
Recent Examples on the Web
Whether the Michael sequel will come to fruition and cover any of this uncharted territory—or flash back to territory that was avoided in the first film, like the entirety of The Wiz—is heretofore unknown.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 May 2026
Hearing a heretofore unseen character dismiss the studied, experienced perspective of our lead investigator is enough to turn your stomach.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2026
On screen, Lipa’s work has heretofore been limited to roles in Argylle and Barbie, as well as multiple appearances on Saturday Night Live both as host and musical guest.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
But the movie cannot shed his woolly energy, which puts any no-name side character at risk of dropping an impassioned soliloquy about some heretofore-unexamined personal drama.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
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Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 12 May 2026
Hearing a heretofore unseen character dismiss the studied, experienced perspective of our lead investigator is enough to turn your stomach.
—Ben Travers, IndieWire, 12 Apr. 2026
On screen, Lipa’s work has heretofore been limited to roles in Argylle and Barbie, as well as multiple appearances on Saturday Night Live both as host and musical guest.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 26 Mar. 2026
But the movie cannot shed his woolly energy, which puts any no-name side character at risk of dropping an impassioned soliloquy about some heretofore-unexamined personal drama.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 12 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for heretofore
Cite this Entry
“Heretofore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heretofore. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
heretofore
adverb
here·to·fore
ˈhi(ə)rt-ə-ˌfō(ə)r
-ˌfȯ(ə)r;
ˌhirt-ə-ˈfō(ə)r,
-ˈfȯ(ə)r
: up to this time
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