because of prior commitments

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "because of prior commitments" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to explain that you are unable to participate in an event or activity due to existing obligations or responsibilities. Example: "I regret to inform you that I cannot attend the meeting because of prior commitments."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

Mr. Karp said that five of the 16 couples declined the invitation to attend their renewal party, most because of prior commitments and one for a momentary lapse of love.

The New York Times

New Football Association chairman Greg Dyke was not in Kiev because of prior commitments.

BBC

The time for the Hong Kong meetup has been changed to 9 to 11pm because of prior commitments.

TechCrunch

Dhani Harrison was unable to attend because of prior commitments.

Los Angeles Times

It will be disappointing for both of you if she's unable to go because of prior commitments.

WikiHow

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

"We have all this logic of prior commitments and it's predicated on this sprawling pattern of growth," he said.

The New York Times

Glavine said he could not attend because of a prior commitment — one of his sons is playing in a baseball tournament — and has sent a video of praise to be played at the ceremony for Maddux at a downtown hotel.

The New York Times

14. Paes asked to partner with Peya, his opponent Sunday, at last year's French Open because Stepanek was unavailable for the second week of the Slam because of a prior commitment to an exhibition match in his hometown in the Czech Republic.

The New York Times

She hit problems immediately because of a prior commitment, the co-curation of a major show of British sculpture at the Royal Academy.

The Guardian - Arts

Jeffrey Kessler, the union's outside counsel and their chief negotiator for most of the process, was absent because of a prior commitment.

The New York Times - Sports

Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers' 21-year-old guard, said he would most likely not compete in the Olympic Games in September because of prior personal commitments -- including his wedding.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When explaining your absence, specify the type of commitments if possible. Instead of "because of prior commitments", try "because of a prior business engagement" or "due to a prior family commitment".

Common error

Avoid overly passive constructions when using "because of prior commitments". Instead of "The event was not attended because of prior commitments", a more direct statement would be "I could not attend the event because of prior commitments."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "because of prior commitments" functions as an adverbial phrase or a causal adjunct. It modifies a verb or clause by providing the reason or cause for a particular action or situation. Ludwig AI confirms that it serves to explain why someone is unable to participate or attend something.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Wiki

20%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "because of prior commitments" is a grammatically correct and commonly used way to explain why someone cannot attend an event or fulfill an obligation. Ludwig AI confirms its usability in written English. It functions as a causal connector, providing a reason or justification for the absence. While found across various contexts like news, wikis, and scientific articles, it maintains a neutral to formal register. For clearer communication, consider specifying the type of commitment. For more formal communication, alternatives such as due to previous obligations or "owing to existing engagements" can be employed.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

due to previous obligations

Replaces "because of" with "due to" and "prior commitments" with "previous obligations", maintaining a formal tone.

owing to existing engagements

Uses "owing to" as a substitute for "because of" and "existing engagements" for "prior commitments", slightly more formal.

on account of earlier engagements

Employs "on account of" instead of "because of" and "earlier engagements" in place of "prior commitments".

due to scheduling conflicts

Focuses specifically on the clash of schedules as the reason, making it slightly less general.

unable to attend due to other plans

More conversational, specifying inability to attend and using "other plans" as a broader reason.

conflicting appointments prevent attendance

Highlights that appointments are in conflict, which prevents attendance.

previous arrangements preclude participation

Very formal, using "preclude participation" to indicate inability to take part.

earlier obligations prevent attendance

Uses "earlier obligations" to convey the reason of unavailability.

cannot participate because of other engagements

A more direct and slightly less formal alternative, suitable for general communication.

already booked for that time

A very informal and direct way to express unavailability.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "because of prior commitments" to sound more formal?

To sound more formal, consider using alternatives such as "due to previous obligations", "owing to existing engagements", or "on account of earlier engagements".

What are some informal ways to say "because of prior commitments"?

Informal alternatives include "already booked for that time" or "unable to attend due to other plans depending on the context".

Is it better to specify the commitments rather than saying "because of prior commitments"?

In many cases, yes. Providing more detail, such as "because of a prior business meeting" or "due to a prior family obligation", can be more informative and transparent.

What's the difference between "because of prior commitments" and "because of scheduling conflicts"?

"Because of scheduling conflicts"/"due to scheduling conflicts" specifically refers to overlapping schedules, while "because of prior commitments" is a broader term that can include various other obligations beyond scheduling issues.