Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adverb Until that time; before that.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Before that time: the counterpart of heretofore.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • adverb Up to that time; before then; -- correlative with heretofore.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adverb until that time
  • adverb before that

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adverb up to that time

Etymologies

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Examples

  • But Bently, with a light upon his countenance such as theretofore had ne'er been seen on sea or land, suddenly held up his hand.

    By Advice of Counsel Arthur Cheney Train 1910

  • He accomplished this in a time when being black was reason enough to be victimized; being black and successful in what theretofore was a white sport was simply unacceptable, and the 'incumbent' thugs weren't shy about letting you know it.

    8 posts from January 2010 2010

  • He accomplished this in a time when being black was reason enough to be victimized; being black and successful in what theretofore was a white sport was simply unacceptable, and the 'incumbent' thugs weren't shy about letting you know it.

    grace 2010

  • The Emancipation Proclamation was a landmark moment in American history - it recognized the rights of a people theretofore viewed as property.

    balanceation proclamation 2010

  • Cockerington Princess, champion of her own sex, also came to gladden our eyes, while the converting into stables of theretofore unused stone winery buildings went apace ....

    Jack London's Old Sherry Building Converted to Horse Barn 2010

  • Both candidates insisted their administrations would be models of public integrity, surpassing the rectitude of any government theretofore known to man.

    O: A Presidential Novel Anonymous 2011

  • Both candidates insisted their administrations would be models of public integrity, surpassing the rectitude of any government theretofore known to man.

    O: A Presidential Novel Anonymous 2011

  • But Mara couldn't finish the job in the general, after Schwartz mounted a write-in campaign and theretofore Democrat Michael A. Brown renounced his party membership to win a seat reserved for a non-Democrat.

    Patrick Mara to run for D.C. Council at-large seat Mike DeBonis 2011

  • “My father served in World War II,” he told the veterans theretofore unaware that Kenyan third graders fought in the big one.

    Deconstructing Obama Jack Cashill 2011

  • Both candidates insisted their administrations would be models of public integrity, surpassing the rectitude of any government theretofore known to man.

    O: A Presidential Novel Anonymous 2011

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