heretofore

English

WOTD – 24 September 2011, 24 September 2012, 24 September 2013, 24 September 2014

Etymology

From Middle English heretoforn, equivalent to here (here) + toforn (before), from Old English tōforan (before). More at here, tofore.

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌhɪətəˈfɔː/, /ˌhɪətʊˈfɔː/, /ˌhɪətəˈfɔə/, /ˌhɪətʊˈfɔə/
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈhɪɹtəfɔɹ/, /ˈhɪɹtəfoɹ/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Hyphenation: here‧to‧fore

Adverb

heretofore (not comparable)

  1. (formal, temporal) Before now, until now, up to the present time; from the beginning to this point.
    Synonyms: hitherto; see also Thesaurus:hitherto
    Antonyms: hereafter, henceforth
    We now make available these works which were heretofore unpublished.
    • For quotations using this term, see Citations:heretofore.
    • 1948 September and October, “Railway Literature”, in Railway Magazine, page 351:
      The Permanent Way: Britain's Railroads in the Making. By Horace Greenleaf and G. Tyers. [] There is no doubt that the permanent way has failed heretofore to attract popular interest to an extent comparable with its importance, but possibly the publicity given recently to various forms of experiment is tending to change this.
  2. (metatextual) Previously within the present text; earlier herein.
    Synonyms: hereinabove, hereabove, hereinbefore, herebefore
    Antonyms: hereinafter, hereinunder, hereafter, hereunder, hereforth, henceforth
    Hypernym: hereinelsewhere
    heretofore referred to as
    heretofore mentioned

Translations

See also

Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts above across after afters again against along among amongst anent1 around as at away beit before beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid2 of on out over so soever somedever3 somever3 through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards -wise with withal within without
hence henceafter henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom
here hereabout hereabouts hereabove hereafter hereafters hereagainst hereamong hereamongst hereanent hereat hereaway herebefore hereby herefor herefore hereforth hereforward hereforwards herefrom herehence hereinabove hereinafter hereinbefore hereinbelow hereinelsewhere hereinsoever hereinto hereinunder heremid hereof hereon hereout hereover herethrough herethroughout hereto hereunto hereupon herewith herewithal herewithin herewithout
hither hitherto hitherunto hitherward hitherwards
how howbeit however howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever
that thataway thatwise
thence thenceafter thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom thenceout
there thereabout thereabouts thereabove thereacross thereafter thereafters thereagain thereagainst therealong thereamong thereamongst thereanent therearound thereat thereaway therebefore therebeside therebetween therebeyond thereby therever therefor therefore thereforth therefrom therehence thereinabove thereinafter thereinbefore thereinbelow thereinto thereinunder theremid thereof thereon thereout thereover theresoever therethrough therethroughout thereto theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
this thisaway thiswise
thither thitherinsoever thitherto thitherward thitherwards
what whatever whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever whatwise
when whenabout whenabouts whenas whenever whenso whensoever whensomever
whence whenceafter whencever whenceforth whenceforward whencefrom whenceward whencewards
where whereabout whereabouts whereabove whereafter whereafters whereagainst wherealong whereamong whereamongst whereanent wherearound whereas whereat whereaway wherebefore wherebeside wherebetween wherebeyond whereby wherever wherefor wherefore whereforth wherefrom wherehence whereinabove whereinafter whereinbefore whereinbelow whereinsoever whereinto whereinunder wheremid whereof whereon whereout whereover whereso wheresoever wheresomever wherethrough wherethroughout whereto wheretofore whereunto whereup whereupon wherewith wherewithal wherewithin wherewithout
whither whitherever whitherinsoever whitherso whitherto whithertofore whitherward whitherwards
why whyever whyfor whyso whysoever
1. Scottish
2. from Middle English mid
3. old dialectal form