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
Palace have been in desperate form as well, nine league games without a victory prior to a result which lifted them a point and a place higher.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Ace Austin, who was fouled by Ware prior to the technical, made 1 of 2 free throws before Salese Blow sank two for the technical and the Aggies led 67-65.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Days prior to the merger announcement, SpaceX described the satellite plan to regulators, according to a filing submitted to the Federal Communications Commission and reviewed by NBC News.
—Hannah Parker, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Besides being fully forgivable after 30 years, no interest is charged to the borrower and all payments are deferred, so repayment is made in full only upon ownership change prior to 30 years.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 8 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prior to
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Andy Naylor, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Ace Austin, who was fouled by Ware prior to the technical, made 1 of 2 free throws before Salese Blow sank two for the technical and the Aggies led 67-65.
—Arkansas Online, 9 Feb. 2026
Days prior to the merger announcement, SpaceX described the satellite plan to regulators, according to a filing submitted to the Federal Communications Commission and reviewed by NBC News.
—Hannah Parker, NBC news, 8 Feb. 2026
Besides being fully forgivable after 30 years, no interest is charged to the borrower and all payments are deferred, so repayment is made in full only upon ownership change prior to 30 years.
—Mars King, Twin Cities, 8 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 15 Feb. 2026.
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