hitherto

adv

1. (also, formal, not-comparable)Up to this or that time.

   “All men att the begynnynge⸝ ſett forth goode wyne⸝ And when men be dronke⸝ then thatt which is worſſe: Butt thou haſt kept backe the goode wyne hetherto.”

   “[T]he greateſt and moſt active part of Mankind, has never hetherto been vvell contented vvith the preſent.”

   “But Charles, as vvell from unvvillingneſs to alienate a province of ſo much value, as from diſguſt at the Pope, vvho had hitherto refuſed to join in the vvar againſt Francis, rejected the propoſal.”

   “The exhaustless conjecturings of that evening's full conversation, made such of the small party, as had hitherto been strangers, well acquainted with each other's turn of mind; […]”

   “The history of all hitherto existing society is the history of class struggles.”

2. (archaic, literary, not-comparable)Up to this place.

   “Hither to ſhalt thou come, but no further, and here ſhalt thou laye downe thy proude and hye wawes.^([sic – meaning waves])”

   “The Archdeacon hath diuided it / Into three limits very equally: / England from Trent, and Seuerne hitherto, / By South and Eaſt is to my part aſsignd: […]”

   “Thus far the very Reputation of Defending our Rights does Service to the Publick, it checks and diſcourages Tyranny, and is the Shore and Sea-dyke againſt Arbitrary Povver, and ſays to its proud VVaves, Hitherto ſhall ye come and no further.”

3. (archaic, literary, not-comparable)In speech or writing: up to this point; thus far.

   “The great man dovvne, you marke his fauourite flyes, / The poore aduanc'd, makes friends of enemies, / And hetherto doth loue on fortune tend, / For vvho not needes, ſhall neuer lacke a friend, / And vvho in vvant a hollovv friend doth try, / Directly ſeaſons him his enemy.”

   “"Really, Mr. Collins," cried Elizabeth with some warmth, "you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as to convince you of its being one."”

4. (not-comparable, obsolete)Synonym of hereto (“regarding this subject; to achieve this result; to this end”).

   “And the eſpeciall intent of this meeting is, to receive our Biſhops directions for the adminiſtration of the Sacraments and Preaching, as his Articles informe us. Hitherto, if I can but hold me by my text, I hope not to fall into impertinencies.”

adj

1. (archaic, not-comparable)Existing or occurring before now; former, preceding, previous.

   “At the same time, then, that the categorical imperative can enjoin nothing without liability to exception but disinterested obedience to itself, it will have no lack of definite content. The particular duties which it enjoins will at least be all those in the practice of which, according to the hitherto experience of men, some progress is made towards the fulfilment of man's capabilities, or some condition necessary to that progress is satisfied.”