hitherto

Use the adverb hitherto when you're describing a state or circumstance that existed up until now. If you find a hitherto undiscovered hidden tunnel in your cellar, you're the first to discover it.

When some particular situation has existed so far, up until the moment that you're speaking of, you can use the word hitherto to talk about it. You could say that you're taking a hot air balloon ride that you were hitherto too scared to contemplate, or that a very shy girl in your philosophy class who was hitherto totally silent finally spoke up today and asked a very intelligent question.

Definitions of hitherto
  1. adverb
    used in negative statement to describe a situation that has existed up to this point or up to the present time
    synonyms: as yet, heretofore, so far, thus far, til now, until now, up to now, yet
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Word Family

Vocabulary lists containing hitherto

Tolkien Reading Day, List 1

Explore these words from The Fellowship of the Ring. Here are links to our lists in the collection: List 0, List 1, List 2, List 3, List 4, List 5, List 6, List 7, List 8, List 9, List 10

Torpedoed
Deborah Heiligman

This work of nonfiction tells the story of a German attack on a British ship carrying a group of children during World War II.

Richard III
William Shakespeare

Richard, younger brother of King Edward IV, wants to rule England — and he will stop at nothing, including murder, in order to seize the crown.

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