far prior

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "far prior" is not commonly used in written English and may sound awkward to some readers.
It can be used to indicate that something occurred a long time before another event or point in time. Example: "The discovery of the ancient ruins was far prior to the establishment of the modern city."

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

So far, prior research examines the effect of pure tax advisors on individual tax payers' non-business income (e.g., Blaufus et al. 2014; Kittl 2015).

Business Research

I founded and led a few efforts at Google (among them, Google Glass and Google Contact Lenses are public so far :) prior to moving to Amazon and work on a few other things now….

TechCrunch

But it's also a problem that plagued the city far prior to the economic downturn.

Vice

The majority of those financial problems went back far prior to my being there.

Los Angeles Times

Considerable evidence supports the greater safety of pioglitazone as compared with rosiglizatone (11, 12), and the fact that declines in rosiglitazone began far prior to the FDA advisory suggests that clinicians, to some degree, may have heeded early safety signals (2).

Diabetes Care

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

The new team in Washington seems to have declared year zero as far as prior American undertakings are concerned.

The New York Times

A match that was preceded by Diana Ross singing "God Bless America" and a fireworks show befitting the Fourth of July was played far above prior suspicions of match fixing and, in flashes, beyond qualitative levels of their previous play.

The New York Times - Sports

While only one of his picks, the comptroller Amer Ahmad, is a completely fresh face, he has chosen a team with far fewer prior City Hall entanglements than the one his predecessor assembled.

The New York Times

He suggests that Cloudflare has so far amassed prior art for half of Blackbird's patents.

TechCrunch

So far no prior study was undertaken on the land resources status and its impact on the livelihood.

Environmental Systems Research

Both wild and cultivated plants have naturalised widely, and were introduced into the Far East prior to the tenth century.

Wikipedia

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "far prior", ensure that the context clearly establishes the two points in time being compared, making the temporal relationship explicit for the reader.

Common error

Avoid using "far prior" in casual conversation or informal writing. Opt for simpler alternatives like "much earlier" or "long before" to maintain a natural tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "far prior" functions as an adverbial modifier emphasizing the temporal distance between two events. It positions one event as occurring significantly earlier than another. As Ludwig AI reports, the usage is acceptable but not common.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Wiki

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "far prior" is an adverbial phrase used to emphasize a significant temporal gap between two events. While grammatically acceptable, it is not very common, primarily appearing in news, scientific, and wiki contexts. As reported by Ludwig AI, it is acceptable but uncommon. For more casual settings, alternatives like "much earlier" or ""long before"" may be more suitable. When using "far prior", clarity and context are crucial to ensure effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

much earlier

Emphasizes a greater difference in time.

long before

Highlights a significant duration of time before a certain point.

well in advance

Focuses on acting or preparing with ample time beforehand.

considerably sooner

Implies an event happening noticeably earlier than expected.

significantly ahead

Suggests a substantial lead in time or progress.

noticeably before

Indicates something occurring observably earlier.

appreciably earlier

Highlights a measurable difference in time.

substantially previous

Stresses a marked degree of precedence.

way back when

Informal way to refer to a time long ago.

a good while ago

Indicates a considerable but unspecified amount of time in the past.

FAQs

How can I use "far prior" in a sentence?

Use "far prior" to indicate that something happened significantly earlier than something else. For example, "The invention of the printing press was "long before" the digital age".

What can I say instead of "far prior"?

You can use alternatives like "much earlier", ""long before"", or "well in advance" depending on the context.

Is "far prior" formal or informal?

While not strictly formal, "far prior" is generally more appropriate for written contexts than casual conversation. Alternatives like "way back when" are better suited for informal settings.

What is the difference between "far prior" and "previously"?

"Previously" simply indicates something happened before, while "far prior" emphasizes a greater difference in time. For instance, "The data was collected much earlier than anticipated" highlights the significant time difference.