two hours prior

USAGE SUMMARY

"two hours prior" is correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it when describing when something happened in relation to a specific time, such as "The accident happened two hours prior to the scheduled departure time."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Tickets will be available two hours prior to each event.

The New Yorker

Gallery open two hours prior to performances and by appointment.

The New York Times

Tickets will be available up to two hours prior to each event.

The New Yorker

Major Peake will begin to breathe pure oxygen two hours prior, because the pressure inside their suits is lower than that of the ISS.

Independent

I've never met a 121-year-old, but I'll wager he'd waggle his head much like Dustin, who also screamed for two hours prior to shooting to achieve the papery voice effect.

The Guardian - Film

In the days leading up to the trip, he had noted that the subjects' bodies would begin releasing the sleep hormone melatonin about two hours prior to sleep, around 10 30 P.M.

The New Yorker

This starts about two hours prior to subsequent main flare.

Advances in Space Research

Two hours prior to SPECT imaging, animals received 25 MBq 111In(DOTA- βAla 2-JMV594 DOTA- βAla 2-JMV594 DOTA- βAla 2-JMV594

EJNMMI Research

In an open-label design, 15 subjects received 15 mg of mirtazapine two hours prior to fMRI while 15 subjects served as a control group.

Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging

Two hours prior to analysis 1 mL of concentrated KMnO4 was added to 10 mL of sample in order to maintain Hg on ionic form.

Heritage Science

Participants were asked to refrain from eating and drinking two hours prior to saliva collection in order to obtain a relatively constant baseline.

Clinical and Translational Medicine

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "two hours prior" in scientific writing, ensure it's followed by a specific time or event. This makes the timing of experiments or observations unambiguous.

Common error

Avoid confusing "prior" with "after". "Two hours prior" means before, not after, the specified time or event. Double-check your sentence to ensure the temporal relationship is accurate.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "two hours prior" functions as a prepositional phrase modifying a verb or noun, indicating a specific duration before a stated event or time. As confirmed by Ludwig, this phrase is grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

52%

News & Media

35%

Formal & Business

13%

Less common in

Wiki

1%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "two hours prior" is a grammatically sound and widely used prepositional phrase to specify a timeframe before a particular event. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness, and its prevalence in scientific and news-related contexts underscores its utility in precise communication. Alternatives like "two hours before" offer similar meanings, though "two hours prior" may carry a slightly more formal tone. Remember to avoid confusing "prior" with "after" to ensure accurate conveyance of temporal relationships.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

two hours before

Direct synonym, replacing 'prior' with 'before'.

two hours earlier

Emphasizes that the event happened at an earlier time.

two hours in advance

Highlights the preparatory aspect of the time difference.

two hours preceding

Replaces 'prior' with the more formal 'preceding'.

120 minutes beforehand

Provides the same duration in minutes, using 'beforehand' for 'prior'.

two hours ahead of time

Stresses the extra time available before the event.

a couple of hours before

Uses a more casual expression, 'a couple of hours' instead of 'two hours'.

two hours in the lead-up

Focuses on the preparatory period of two hours.

leading up to two hours before

Indicates a period of time leading to two hours before an event.

two hours formerly

Uses formerly which is more unusual but similar to prior

FAQs

How can I use "two hours prior" in a sentence?

You can use "two hours prior" to specify a period before a certain event. For example, "The gallery will open "two hours prior" to the performance."

What are some alternatives to saying "two hours prior"?

Some alternatives include "two hours before", "two hours earlier", or "two hours in advance", depending on the context.

Is it more formal to say "two hours prior" compared to "two hours before"?

"Two hours prior" is slightly more formal than "two hours before". The choice depends on the tone and audience of your writing.

Can "two hours prior" be used to describe events in the future?

Yes, "two hours prior" can refer to a time in the future relative to a future event. For example, "Please arrive "two hours prior" to the scheduled start time tomorrow."