Standard Lemma guide

theretofore

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

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

adv

Meaning 1

Until that time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: formal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

adv

Meaning 2

Before that.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: formal

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

adverb

Meaning 3

up to that time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

they had not done any work theretofore

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Middle English ther-to-fore, þeretofore, þer to-fore, þer toforn, þær toforen, from Old English þǣr tōforan, equivalent to there + tofore.

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

Bulgarian: дотогава (dotogava) — translation
Dutch: daartevoren — translation
Finnish: siihen asti — translation
Finnish: siihen saakka — translation
Finnish: siihen mennessä — translation
French: jusque-là — translation
Swedish: dittills — translation

Word forms

Inflections and variants

No separate word forms were provided.

Word family

Derived and related words

Derived: none provided

Related: —, henceafter, henceforth, henceforward, henceforwards, hencefrom, hereabout, hereabouts, hereabove, hereafter, hereafters, hereagainst, hereamong, 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, heretofore, hereunto, hereupon, herewith, herewithal, herewithin, herewithout, hitherto, hitherunto, hitherward, hitherwards, howbeit, however, howso, howsoever, howsomedever, howsomever, thataway, thatwise, thenceafter, thenceforth, thenceforward, thenceforwards, thencefrom, thenceout, 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, thereunto, thereup, thereupon, therewith, therewithal, therewithin, therewithout, thisaway, thiswise, thitherinsoever, thitherto, thitherward, thitherwards, whatever, whatso, whatsoever, whatsomedever, whatsomever, whatwise, whenabout, whenabouts, whenas, whenever, whenso, whensoever, whensomever, whenceafter, whencever, whenceforth, whenceforward, whencefrom, whenceward, whencewards, 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, whitherever, whitherinsoever, whitherso, whitherto, whithertofore, whitherward, whitherwards, whyever, whyfor, whyso, whysoever, 1. Scottish2. from Middle English mid3. old dialectal form

Semantic map

Other relationships

Sources

Where this information comes from

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