heretofore
Americanadverb
adverb
adjective
noun
Etymology
Origin of heretofore
1300–50; Middle English heretoforn, equivalent to here here + toforn, Old English tōforan ( tō to + foran before; see fore 1)
Explanation
When someone says heretofore, they're describing things that have happened up to the present moment. This formal word means "thus far" and often appears in legal or other official documents. This is an old-fashioned word, but it refers to something timeless — events in the past that have gone on until now. To sell a new shoe, an advertiser could say, "Heretofore, there has never been a shoe like this." After a disaster, someone could say, "Heretofore, we never experienced such a catastrophe." This word draws a line in the sand between the past and the present. This word means about the same as as yet and until now.
Vocabulary lists containing heretofore
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" by Jonathan Edwards
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Declaration and Resolves of the First Continental Congress
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Votes for Women!
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Heretofore obscure politicians have also been handed plenty of airtime to pronounce on the pandemic.
From Washington Post • May 5, 2020
Heretofore, Bloom made her dough by representing Hollywood women who said they were victimized by the same type of predators as Harvey.
From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2017
Heretofore, their successes have been obscure and difficult to advertise.
From The Guardian • Nov. 1, 2017
Heretofore, the 11-year old I was had listened to lyrics in a pretty cursory way – sometimes getting them wrong, as people do.
From Salon • Nov. 24, 2014
Heretofore all the campus gossip had seemed merely malicious and disrespectful; now I could see the advantage for Dr. Bledsoe.
From "Invisible Man" by Ralph Ellison
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
