hitherto

English

WOTD – 2 September 2025

Etymology

The adverb is derived from Middle English hiderto (“to the present time, until now; up to this point”),[1] from hider (“in this direction, to or toward this place; up to the present time, until now”)[2] (from Old English hider (“to here, hither”)[3]) + to (“in the direction of, toward; etc.”).[4] By surface analysis, hither +‎ to.[5]

The adjective is derived from the adverb.[5]

Pronunciation

  • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˌhɪðəˈtuː/, /ˈhɪðətuː/, [ˌhɪðəˈtʰuː], [ˈhɪðətʰuː]
  • (General American) IPA(key): /ˈhɪðəɹˌtu/, /ˌhɪðəɹˈtu/, [ˈhɪðəɹˌtʰu], [ˌhɪðəɹˈtʰu]
  • Audio (General American); /ˈhɪðəɹˌtu/:(file)
    (file)
  • Hyphenation: hi‧ther‧to

Adverb

hitherto (not comparable)

  1. (formal, also law) Up to this or that time.
    Synonyms: up to now, heretofore; see also Thesaurus:hitherto
    Antonyms: from now on, henceforth; see also Thesaurus:henceforth
  2. (chiefly archaic or literary)
    1. Up to this place.
      • 1535 October 14 (Gregorian calendar), Myles Coverdale, transl., Biblia: The Byble, […] (Coverdale Bible), [Cologne or Marburg]: [Eucharius Cervicornus and Johannes Soter?], →OCLC, Job xxxviij:[11], folio xi, recto, column 1:
        Hither to ſhalt thou come, but no further, and here ſhalt thou laye downe thy proude and hye wawes.[sic – meaning waves]
      • c. 1597 (date written), [William Shakespeare], The History of Henrie the Fourth; […], quarto edition, London: […] P[eter] S[hort] for Andrew Wise, […], published 1598, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i], signature F1, recto:
        The Archdeacon hath diuided it / Into three limits very equally: / England from Trent, and Seuerne hitherto, / By South and Eaſt is to my part aſsignd: […]
      • 1694, Samuel Johnson, Notes upon the Phœnix Edition of the Pastoral Letter. Part I, London: Printed for the author, →OCLC, page 64:
        Thus far the very Reputation of Defending our Rights does Service to the Publick, it checks and diſcourages Tyranny, and is the Shore and Sea-dyke againſt Arbitrary Povver, and ſays to its proud VVaves, Hitherto ſhall ye come and no further.
    2. In speech or writing: up to this point; thus far.
  3. (obsolete) Synonym of hereto (“regarding this subject; to achieve this result; to this end”).
    • 1635 August 27 (date delivered; Gregorian calendar), John Pocklington, Sunday No Sabbath. A Sermon Preached before the Lord Bishop of Lincolne, at His Lordships Visitation at Ampthill in the County of Bedford, Aug. 17. 1635, London: […] Robert Young, published 1636, →OCLC, page 2:
      And the eſpeciall intent of this meeting is, to receive our Biſhops directions for the adminiſtration of the Sacraments and Preaching, as his Articles informe us. Hitherto, if I can but hold me by my text, I hope not to fall into impertinencies.

Translations

See also

Here-, there-, and where- words
Pronominal adverbs
about abouts above across after afters again against along among amongst anent1 around as at away beit before beside between beyond by ever for fore forth forward forwards from hence inabove inafter inbefore inbelow inelsewhere insoever into inunder mid2 of on out over so soever somedever3 somever3 through throughout to tofore unto up upon ward wards -wise with withal within without
hence — — — — henceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — henceforth henceforward henceforwards hencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
here 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
hither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — hitherto — hitherunto — — hitherward hitherwards — — — — —
how — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howbeit — — — — — however — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — howso howsoever howsomedever howsomever — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
that — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thataway — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thatwise — — — —
thence — — — — thenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceforth thenceforward thenceforwards thencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — thenceout — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
there 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 theretofore thereunto thereup thereupon — — — therewith therewithal therewithin therewithout
this — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thisaway — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thiswise — — — —
thither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherinsoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — thitherto — — — — thitherward thitherwards — — — — —
what — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whatso whatsoever whatsomedever whatsomever — — — — — — — — — whatwise — — — —
when whenabout whenabouts — — — — — — — — — — — whenas — — — — — — — — whenever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenso whensoever — whensomever — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
whence — — — — whenceafter — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whencever — — whenceforth whenceforward — whencefrom — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whenceward whencewards — — — — —
where 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
whither — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherever — — — — — — — — — — — — whitherinsoever — — — — — — — whitherso — — — — — whitherto whithertofore — — — whitherward whitherwards — — — — —
why — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyever whyfor — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — whyso whysoever — — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
1. Scottish
2. from Middle English mid
3. old dialectal form

Adjective

hitherto (not comparable)

  1. (archaic) Existing or occurring before now; former, preceding, previous.
    Synonyms: see Thesaurus:former
    • 1883 (date written), Thomas Hill Green, “Characteristics of the Moral Ideal”, in A[ndrew] C[ecil] Bradley, editor, Prolegomena to Ethics, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, published 1883, →OCLC, paragraph 197, page 207:
      At the same time, then, that the categorical imperative can enjoin nothing without liability to exception but disinterested obedience to itself, it will have no lack of definite content. The particular duties which it enjoins will at least be all those in the practice of which, according to the hitherto experience of men, some progress is made towards the fulfilment of man's capabilities, or some condition necessary to that progress is satisfied.

Translations

References

  1. ^ “hider-tō, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  2. ^ “hider, adv.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  3. ^ Joseph Bosworth (1882), “hider, adv.”, in T[homas] Northcote Toller, editor, An Anglo-Saxon Dictionary […], Oxford, Oxfordshire: Clarendon Press, →OCLC, page 535, column 1.
  4. ^ “tọ̄̆, prep.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 “hitherto, adv. and adj.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, June 2025.; “hitherto, adv.”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.
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