Meanings
- formalUntil that time.
Þæt wolde ðyncan wundorlic ælcum men þe on Englalande wæs, gif ænig man ær þam sæde þæt hit swa gewurþan sceolde, for ðam þe he wæs ær to þam swyðe up ahafen swylce he weolde þæs cynges ⁊ ealles Englalandes, ⁊ his sunan wæron eorlas, ⁊ þæs cynges dyrlingas, ⁊ his dohtor þæm cynge beweddod ⁊ beæwnod.
1898, Sir James H[enry] Ramsay of Bamff, [10th] Bar[one]t, “Eadward the Confessor (continued): a.d. 1051–1053”, in The Foundations of England: or Twelve Centuries of British History (b.c. 55–a.d. 1154), London: Swan Sonnenschein & Co Ltd, →OCLC, pages 461–462 - formalBefore that.
Synonyms & antonyms
Origin
- Old Englishþǣr tōforan
- Middle Englishther-to-fore
- Englishtheretofore
From Middle English ther-to-fore, þeretofore, þer to-fore, þer toforn, þær toforen, from Old English þǣr tōforan, equivalent to there + tofore.
More words from Middle English, Old English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian дотогава
- дотогава (dotogava)translation
Dutch daartevoren
- daartevorentranslation
Finnish siihen asti, siihen saakka
- siihen astitranslation
- siihen saakkatranslation
- siihen mennessätranslation
French jusque-là
- jusque-làtranslation
Swedish dittills
- dittillstranslation
Cite this entry
theretofore. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/theretofore
“theretofore.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/theretofore. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “theretofore,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/theretofore.
Source: theretofore on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.