heretofore

[heer-tuh-fawr, -fohr]

adverb

1. before this time; until now.

heretofore

/ ˌhɪətʊˈfɔː /

adverb

1. formal,  until now; before this time

adjective

1. obsolete,  previous; former

noun

1. archaic,  the past

Word History and Origins

Origin of heretofore¹

1300–50; Middle English heretoforn, equivalent to here here + toforn, Old English tōforan ( tō to + foran before; fore ¹ )

Example Sentences

Long before Taylor Swift released her first single, K-pop captivated audiences to create a new level of fandom heretofore unknown.

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All told, Knappenberger’s approach applies much-needed but heretofore scarcely presented doses of cynicism to America’s motivations for prosecuting and escalating this war.

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Stories abounded about users’ discoveries of heretofore unknown ethnic backgrounds or even discovering unknown relatives.

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What I discovered instead was a freewheeling, foul-mouthed, genuinely funny studio comedy — and a heretofore untapped excitement for the fourth film in the franchise, “Mad About the Boy.”

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It promises to be a heretofore unequaled imperial presidency — unitary executive theory made real, but on steroids.

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Related Words

• formerly 
• previously