before
Americanpreposition
-
previous to; earlier or sooner than.
Phone me before noon.
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in front of; ahead of; in advance of.
his shadow advancing before him;
She stood before the window.
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ahead of; in the future of; awaiting.
The golden age is before us.
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in preference to; rather than.
They would die before surrendering.
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in precedence of, as in order or rank.
We put freedom before wealth.
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in the presence or sight of: to appear before an audience.
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less than; until: used in indicating the exact time.
It's ten before three.
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under the jurisdiction or consideration of.
He was summoned before a magistrate.
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confronted by; in the face of.
Before such wild accusations, he was too stunned to reply.
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in the regard of.
a crime before God and humanity.
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under the overwhelming influence of.
bending before the storm.
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without figuring or deducting.
income before deductions.
adverb
-
in front; in advance; ahead.
The king entered with macebearers walking before.
-
in time preceding; previously.
If we'd known before, we'd have let you know.
- Antonyms:
- subsequently, afterward
-
earlier or sooner.
Begin at noon, not before.
- Antonyms:
- later
conjunction
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previous to the time when.
Send the telegram before we go.
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sooner than; rather than.
I will die before I submit.
conjunction
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earlier than the time when
-
rather than
he'll resign before he agrees to it
preposition
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preceding in space or time; in front of; ahead of
standing before the altar
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when confronted by
to withdraw before one's enemies
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in the presence of
to be brought before a judge
-
in preference to
to put friendship before money
adverb
Etymology
Origin of before
First recorded before 1000; Middle English beforen, Old English beforan, equivalent to be by + foran “before” ( fore fore 1 + -an adverb suffix)
Explanation
When one thing precedes another, it comes before. You put your socks on before your shoes, you close the door before you lock it, and you should make sure the store is open before you leave home. The word before comes from the Old English beforan, meaning “in front of” or “in former times.” Before tells when something happens — don’t hire that guy before you check his references — or the position of something: the library is the last building before the intersection. In "before and after" pictures, the "before" ones were taken prior to the makeover, renovation, and so on, while the "after" photos show the improvement.
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.
A new survey suggests there are more women like Victoria in England than ever before.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
She also noted that patients experiencing cognitive problems during cancer treatment should consult their healthcare provider before starting any intervention to ensure it is appropriate for their individual situation.
From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026
I don't think we've ever really seen anything moving with this scale and speed before.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 10, 2026
An told the podcast that she found the alleged encounter "scary", adding that West did not speak to her before, during or afterwards.
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
He knows it’s only a matter of time before we’ll find it ourselves.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
