pre-existing commitments

USAGE SUMMARY

"pre-existing commitments" is a correct and usable expression in written English.
You can use it to refer to long-standing responsibilities or obligations that exist before a certain event or situation occurs. For example, you could say "Due to my pre-existing commitments, I was unable to attend the party".

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

10 human-written examples

"Recognizing the necessity of performers fulfilling pre-existing commitments when they are in need of treatment, Wonderland has developed a working solution to this all too familiar problem".

The New York Times

From now on he would tend to put himself in situations where the woman's pre-existing commitments meant that he was unlikely to be called upon to offer a second date, let alone marriage.

The Guardian - Books

Pending approval by regulators and the boards of the Amex and the NASD, the seller will reinvest all $110m of the proceeds into Amex's technological infrastructure, in accordance with pre-existing commitments.

The Economist

Stoltenberg said the five resolutions "call for North Korea to suspend all activities related to its ballistic missile" programme, to "re-establish its pre-existing commitments to a moratorium on missile launching and not to conduct any further nuclear test or any launch using ballistic missile technology".

The Guardian

We also consider the situation where partners have pre-existing commitments to other projects, perhaps with competitors.

European Journal of Operational Research

The producers sales may be correlated with the partners profits on pre-existing commitments so the impact on contract structure is explored.

European Journal of Operational Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Ministers have been under pressure from Save the Children and opposition parties to take 3,000 unaccompanied vulnerable children, in addition to the pre-existing commitment to take 20,000 refugees in the parliament.

The Guardian

The emergence of Global Fund support by 2006 nevertheless helped to strengthen the MOH's pre-existing commitment to TB control [ 49]; D. Barreira, personal communication, October 20, 2009; F. Moherdaui, personal communication, June 16, 2006; V. Terto, personal communication, May 22 , 2012 E. Santos-Filho, personal communication, May 23 , 2012]

Globalization and Health

First, the federal government now has large pre-existing spending commitments like Social Security and Medicare.

The New York Times

One of those students was Mike Gabbard, who had been interested in Hinduism since the nineteen-seventies: he once corresponded with Bhaktivedanta, asking for advice on establishing a temple, and Tulsi Gabbard's name reflects the family's pre-existing spiritual commitments.

The New Yorker

The authors caution however that pre-existing political commitment and an effective health movement in Brazil were major factors for governance success, highlighting how context matters and needs to be understood to ensure desired health policy outcomes are realised.

Globalization and Health

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "pre-existing commitments", ensure the context clearly indicates what event or situation these commitments precede. This provides clarity and avoids ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "pre-existing commitments" without specifying what those commitments are. If possible, briefly mention the nature of the commitments to provide context and avoid confusion.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "pre-existing commitments" typically functions as a noun phrase, often serving as the object of a preposition or as a reason or explanation for an action or decision. Ludwig AI validates that this is a correct and usable expression.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

40%

Science

40%

Formal & Business

20%

Less common in

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "pre-existing commitments" is a grammatically correct and commonly understood expression used to describe prior obligations or responsibilities. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and usability in various contexts. While relatively uncommon, the phrase appears across diverse sources like news media, scientific publications, and formal business documents, denoting a neutral to professional register. When using "pre-existing commitments", ensure clarity by specifying the nature of these commitments to avoid ambiguity. Alternatives such as prior obligations or previous engagements can be used for a more formal tone.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

prior obligations

Replaces "commitments" with "obligations" and "pre-existing" with "prior", emphasizing the temporal aspect of the commitments.

previous engagements

Substitutes "commitments" with "engagements", suggesting scheduled events or appointments.

earlier responsibilities

Uses "responsibilities" instead of "commitments", focusing on the duties one must fulfill.

existing obligations

Omits "pre-" but keeps the core meaning of obligations that are already in effect.

standing duties

Replaces "commitments" with "duties", implying ongoing responsibilities.

current responsibilities

Similar to "earlier responsibilities" but emphasizes the present nature of the responsibilities.

scheduled activities

Focuses on the planned aspect of commitments, using more general terms.

unavoidable prior engagements

Highlights the importance and fixed nature of the prior engagements.

conflicting appointments

Emphasizes the potential for schedule clashes due to prior arrangements.

established responsibilities

Highlights that responsibilities are in place.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "pre-existing commitments" to sound more formal?

For a more formal tone, consider using alternatives such as "prior obligations" or "previous engagements", which convey a similar meaning with a heightened level of formality.

What's the difference between "pre-existing commitments" and "future obligations"?

"Pre-existing commitments" refer to responsibilities or engagements already in place, while "future obligations" refer to duties that will arise at a later time. The key difference lies in the timing of the commitment.

Is it correct to use "preexisting commitments" without the hyphen?

While it's becoming increasingly common to omit the hyphen in similar compound adjectives, using "pre-existing commitments" with the hyphen is generally considered more grammatically correct and ensures clarity.

How do I politely decline an invitation due to "pre-existing commitments"?

You can politely decline by saying something like, "Thank you for the invitation, but I am unable to attend due to prior obligations". Be sure to express your regret and, if appropriate, suggest an alternative time.