Thus Far: Meaning and Usage Guide

“Thus far” is a formal phrase meaning “up to this point in time” or “until now.” It works as a time marker in sentences, indicating events or conditions from the past continuing to the present moment. This phrase carries a formal, somewhat literary tone that works best in professional writing, academic contexts, and formal speech. For instance, “The project has gone smoothly thus far” means everything has worked well up until now. The phrase combines “thus” (meaning “in this way” or “to this degree”) with “far” (indicating extent or distance in time) to create a temporal expression. In casual conversation, most people say “so far” instead, which means exactly the same thing but sounds more natural and relaxed.

The key difference is formality level, not meaning—both phrases describe the same time period from past to present. Understanding when each phrase fits helps you match your language to your audience and context, ensuring you sound appropriately formal or conversational depending on the situation.

What Does Thus Far Mean?

“Thus far” means “up to now” or “up to this point.” It’s an adverbial phrase that marks time, showing that something started in the past and continues to the present moment.

The phrase answers the implicit question “how far?” in terms of time rather than distance. When you say “thus far, everything is fine,” you’re saying that from some starting point until right now, everything has been fine. You’re not making claims about the future—just describing the current state.

Grammatically, “thus far” functions as a time adverbial. It modifies verbs by providing temporal context: “We have succeeded thus far” tells when the success applies. The phrase can appear at the beginning, middle, or end of sentences depending on emphasis.

This expression carries formal weight. It appears in business reports, academic papers, formal presentations, and professional correspondence. You’ll rarely hear it in everyday casual conversation, where “so far” dominates.

How Do You Use Thus Far in Sentences?

Correct Usage Examples

Professional writing welcomes this formal phrase. Business reports frequently use it: “Sales have exceeded projections thus far this quarter.” This tells stakeholders that current performance is strong without predicting future results.

Academic writing employs the phrase regularly: “The research has yielded promising results thus far.” Scientists and scholars use it to describe progress without overstating conclusions. When editing academic manuscripts, I notice this phrase appears most in methodology sections and interim results discussions.

Formal presentations benefit from this language: “Our expansion strategy has proven effective thus far.” The phrase adds polish to professional speaking without sounding stiff.

Legal documents sometimes include it: “The defendant has complied with all conditions thus far.” It precisely marks the time period under discussion.

Financial communications use it for cautious optimism: “The investment has performed well thus far, though market conditions remain volatile.” The phrase allows writers to acknowledge current success while maintaining professional caution about the future.

Position varies naturally. Beginning: “Thus far, we’ve encountered no major obstacles.” Middle: “The team has, thus far, completed every milestone on schedule.” End: “No complications have arisen thus far.”

Incorrect Usage Examples

❌ “Thus far, I’m liking this pizza.” (too casual for formal phrase) 

✅ “So far, I’m liking this pizza.” (informal context needs informal phrase)

❌ “The party was fun thus far.” (past tense doesn’t match “up to now” meaning) 

✅ “The party has been fun thus far.” (present perfect matches ongoing timeframe)

❌ “Thus far I haven’t seen him, but I will later.” (comma usually needed) 

✅ “Thus far, I haven’t seen him.” (comma after opening phrase)

❌ Text message: “Movie is good thus far” (wrong register for texting) 

✅ Text message: “Movie is good so far” (casual alternative fits context)

Context Variations

Business emails balance formality. Internal team messages might say: “The client presentation has gone well thus far, but we still need their final approval.” This works for professional-but-not-stiff communication between colleagues.

Academic contexts embrace formality. Research papers naturally accommodate: “Data collection has proceeded smoothly thus far, with 87% of surveys completed.” The phrase matches academic writing conventions.

Presentations to executives benefit from this language. “Market penetration has exceeded our targets thus far” sounds more polished than “so far we’re beating our goals,” even though both communicate the same information.

Casual writing rejects this phrase. Personal blogs, social media posts, friendly emails, and text messages sound pretentious with “thus far.” Save it for contexts where formality matters.

When reviewing business proposals, I see writers use this phrase to project confidence while maintaining appropriate caution. “Our approach has delivered results thus far” acknowledges success without guaranteeing future performance—crucial in proposals making commitments.

Thus Far vs So Far: What’s the Difference?

The meanings are identical. Both phrases mean “up to this point in time.” The only difference is formality level.

“So far” is casual, conversational, and universal. People use it naturally in everyday speech: “So far, so good.” It works everywhere—emails to friends, casual work conversations, social media, texts, and even some professional contexts where a relaxed tone is appropriate.

“Thus far” is formal, literary, and selective. It appears in professional writing, formal presentations, academic papers, and situations requiring polished language. Most people don’t use it in casual conversation because it sounds overly formal.

Neither is more correct grammatically. The choice depends entirely on your audience and context. Professional report? “Thus far” fits. Chat with coworkers? “So far” feels natural.

Some writers assume “thus far” sounds more intelligent or sophisticated. This backfires when the phrase creates awkward formality in casual contexts. Across hundreds of business emails, I’ve seen junior writers pepper casual messages with “thus far” trying to sound professional, when “so far” would communicate more naturally with the same colleagues.

When Should You Use or Avoid This Phrase?

Use “thus far” in formal professional writing. Business reports, academic papers, formal proposals, executive presentations, and official correspondence all accommodate this phrase naturally. It signals that you understand professional writing conventions.

Professional presentations benefit from this language when you’re addressing executives, boards, clients, or formal audiences. “Our initiative has succeeded thus far” sounds appropriately polished for these contexts.

Academic and research contexts expect formal language. “Thus far” fits naturally in scholarly writing where “so far” might sound too casual for the register.

Avoid “thus far” in casual conversations. Text messages, personal emails, social media posts, and friendly workplace chats all sound better with “so far.” The formal phrase creates awkward distance in relaxed contexts.

Skip it in creative writing dialogue unless a character specifically speaks formally. Real people rarely say “thus far” in conversation, so characters shouldn’t either unless formality defines their speech pattern.

Internal team communications vary. Extremely casual teams might find “thus far” stiff and unnecessary. More formal professional cultures might expect it in status reports and updates. Read your workplace culture and match it.

When training junior editors, I emphasize context over absolute rules. Ask: “Would this phrase fit in a business textbook or formal report?” If yes, “thus far” works. If the content would fit better in a casual email or conversation, choose “so far” instead.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake	Example	Why It’s Wrong	Correction
Using in casual contexts	❌ “The game is boring thus far.”	Too formal for casual topic	✅ “The game is boring so far.”
Wrong tense	❌ “It was good thus far.”	Past tense contradicts “up to now”	✅ “It has been good thus far.”
Missing comma at beginning	❌ “Thus far everything works.”	Opening phrase needs comma	✅ “Thus far, everything works.”
Mixing with casual language	❌ “Thus far, the show’s pretty dope.”	Formality clash	✅ “So far, the show’s pretty good.”
Overusing in one document	❌ Multiple “thus far” in short text	Repetitive, sounds forced	✅ Vary with “to date,” “currently,” “so far”

The biggest error is formality mismatch. Writers use “thus far” in casual contexts where it sounds pretentious, or they use “so far” in formal reports where more polished language would be appropriate.

Tense errors appear frequently. The phrase means “up to now,” which requires present perfect tense (“has been,” “have completed”) rather than simple past (“was,” “completed”). The action must extend to the present moment.

Comma errors happen when writers forget that opening phrases need comma separation. “Thus far, the results are positive” needs that comma for proper punctuation.

How Do You Remember When to Use It?

Think “thus = formal, so = casual.” The more formal your context, the more “thus far” fits. The more casual your situation, the more “so far” works. This simple rule handles most situations.

Ask yourself: “Am I writing for a textbook, business report, or formal presentation?” If yes, “thus far” is appropriate. “Am I texting a friend or writing casually?” If yes, stick with “so far.”

Remember that “thus” by itself sounds formal in modern English. We don’t commonly say “thus” in everyday speech anymore. When you see “thus” in a phrase, it signals formal register.

Wrapping Up

“Thus far” means “up to this point” or “until now,” functioning as a formal time marker in professional and academic writing. While it carries the same meaning as “so far,” the phrase signals formal register and works best in business documents, academic papers, formal presentations, and professional correspondence. Casual contexts prefer “so far” for natural, conversational tone. Choose based on your audience and formality level—”thus far” for polished professional writing, “so far” for everyday communication.

Frequently Asked Questions