until
Americanconjunction
-
up to the time that or when; till.
He read until his guests arrived.
-
before (usually used in negative constructions).
They did not come until the meeting was half over.
preposition
-
onward to or till (a specified time or occurrence).
She worked until 6 p.m.
-
before (usually used in negative constructions).
He did not go until night.
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Scot. and North England. to; unto.
conjunction
-
up to (a time) that
he laughed until he cried
-
(used with a negative) before (a time or event)
until you change, you can't go out
preposition
-
(often preceded by up) in or throughout the period before
he waited until six
-
(used with a negative) earlier than; before
he won't come until tomorrow
Usage
The use of until such time as (as in industrial action will continue until such time as our demands are met ) is unnecessary and should be avoided: industrial action will continue until our demands are met
Commonly Confused
See till 1.
Etymology
Origin of until
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English untill, from un- (from Old Norse unz “up to, as far as”) + till till 1
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Until Tuesday only Swansea, Merthyr Tydfil and Newport were funding childcare under Flying Start for all two-year-olds in their area.
From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026
Until early June, the overwhelming expectation among economists and traders was for at least one more interest-rate rise in Australia by the end of 2026, most likely in August.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 16, 2026
Until Wednesday, Harris had kept the shooting video under wraps for nearly nine months by invoking an exception to state law requiring police shootings to be released, citing an investigation.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 16, 2026
Until then, they argue that resources and funding may be better directed toward strategies that have already demonstrated meaningful benefits.
From Science Daily • Jun. 15, 2026
Until then, I had simply been her child, her daughter, and she my mother.
From "An Elephant in the Garden" by Michael Morpurgo
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
