: up to this or that time reveals some hitherto unknown facts about her life.

How is hitherto used in a sentence?

1. She discovered a world of parties and pleasure she had hitherto only known by hearsay. 2. Hitherto he had experienced no great success in his attempt.

Is hitherto a formal?

8 Answers. Merriam-Webster Unabridged does not flag hitherto as "archaic." Macmillan does mark hitherto as "very formal" but it's by no means outdated. Whoever marked you down for using an "archaic" word is wrong (unless perhaps you were using hitherto in an informal context).