Heretofore
/ˌhɪər.təˈfɔːr/noun
Until now or up to the present time.
Did you know?Heretofore survived mainly in formal, legal, and literary language, where it acts like a verbal boundary between the past and the present.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ke-
“A demonstrative element meaning “this” or “here,” the deep source associated with English here.”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*per-
“A root expressing movement forward, passing through, or what is in front; it contributed to the fore element.”
Old English
Old English
hēr / fore
“Hēr meant “here,” while fore meant “in front,” “before,” or “previously.””
Middle English
Middle English
heretofore
“A compound meaning “before this time” or “previously,” formed from here, to, and fore.”
Modern English
English
heretofore
“A formal adverb meaning “until now” or “up to this point.””