prior to
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
before something happens
Literally: earlier than
Register: neutral
Examples
I will finish the report prior to the meeting.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Everyday learner phrase (CEFR B2); level cross-referenced from published learner lists. Definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “prior to” mean?
before something happens Literally: earlier than
Is “prior to” formal or informal?
prior to is generally neutral.