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
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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
There was no discussion or comment prior to the 7-2 vote, with council members Steve Thoren and Rose Martinez abstaining.
—Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
The courts in the past have held — and usually not framed in terms of DEI policies; this was prior to that term gaining currency — but courts have been skeptical about giving the FCC authority over Equal Employment Opportunity policies as a basis for license decisions.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
The discovery is made just as the del Valles need to rebuild the fence, in its proper place, prior to an important garden party, and days before Butley’s garden is to be judged for the local competition.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Even though strict immigration quotas and bans became the law of the land in 1924, the issue persisted as babies born prior to passage of the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act came of age into the 1930s.
—Lawrence Glickman, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2026
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Gloria Casas, Chicago Tribune, 28 Apr. 2026
The courts in the past have held — and usually not framed in terms of DEI policies; this was prior to that term gaining currency — but courts have been skeptical about giving the FCC authority over Equal Employment Opportunity policies as a basis for license decisions.
—Josef Adalian, Vulture, 28 Apr. 2026
The discovery is made just as the del Valles need to rebuild the fence, in its proper place, prior to an important garden party, and days before Butley’s garden is to be judged for the local competition.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 28 Apr. 2026
Even though strict immigration quotas and bans became the law of the land in 1924, the issue persisted as babies born prior to passage of the Johnson-Reed Immigration Act came of age into the 1930s.
—Lawrence Glickman, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 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 2 May. 2026.
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