Standard Lemma guide

heretofore

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌhɪətəˈfɔː/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌhɪətʊˈfɔː/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌhɪətəˈfɔə/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˌhɪətʊˈfɔə/
  • General-American: /ˈhɪɹtəfɔɹ/
  • General-American: /ˈhɪɹtəfoɹ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: HH IH2 R T AH0 F AO1 R Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

Before now, until now, up to the present time; from the beginning to this point.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: formal, not-comparable, temporal

Examples

  • We now make available these works which were heretofore unpublished.
  • He had more liberty now than he'd known heretofore.
  • For quotations using this term, see Citations:heretofore.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hitherto, as yet, as of yet, erenow, herebefore, hereto, heretofore, heretoforetime, hereunto, hereuntofore, hithertofore, so far, thus far, to date, up to now, yet

Antonyms: hereafter, henceforth

2

adv

Meaning 2

Previously within the present text; earlier herein.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • heretofore referred to as
  • heretofore mentioned

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: hereinabove, hereabove, hereinbefore, herebefore

Antonyms: hereinafter, hereinunder, hereafter, hereunder, hereforth, henceforth

Broader terms: hereinelsewhere

3

adverb

Meaning 3

used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • So far he hasn't called
  • the sun isn't up yet

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: so far, thus far, up to now, hitherto, as yet, yet, til now, until now

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

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

Across languages

Translations

35 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: حَتَّى الْآن (ḥattā l-ʔān) — up to the present time
  • Arabic: حتّى اللحظة الراهنة — up to the present time
  • Azerbaijani: indiyəcən — up to the present time
  • Bulgarian: досега́ (dosegá) — up to the present time
  • Catalan: fins ara — up to the present time
  • Czech: dosud — up to the present time
  • Dutch: hiertevoren — up to the present time
  • Finnish: tähän asti — up to the present time
  • Finnish: tähän saakka — up to the present time
  • Finnish: aiemmin — up to the present time
  • Finnish: ennen — up to the present time
  • French: jusqu'alors — up to the present time
  • French: jusqu'ici — up to the present time
  • German: bislang — up to the present time
  • German: vordem — up to the present time
  • Italian: prima d'ora — up to the present time
  • Japanese: これまで (koremade) — up to the present time
  • Norwegian Bokmål: hittil — up to the present time
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: hittil — up to the present time
  • Polish: dotychczas — up to the present time
  • Portuguese: até agora — up to the present time
  • Russian: пре́жде (préžde) — up to the present time
  • Russian: до этого (do etovo) — up to the present time
  • Russian: ра́ньше (ránʹše) — up to the present time
  • Russian: досе́ле (doséle) — up to the present time
  • Russian: доны́не (donýne) — up to the present time
  • Serbo-Croatian: sve do sada — up to the present time
  • Serbo-Croatian: dosad — up to the present time
  • Spanish: anteriormente — up to the present time
  • Spanish: previamente — up to the present time
  • Spanish: hasta la fecha — up to the present time
  • Spanish: hasta ahora — up to the present time
  • Swedish: hittills — up to the present time
  • Swedish: tidigare — up to the present time
  • Turkish: şimdiye kadar — up to the present time