before

American  

[bih-fawr, -fohr] / bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊr /

preposition

1. previous to; earlier or sooner than.

   Phone me before noon.

2. in front of; ahead of; in advance of.

   his shadow advancing before him;

   She stood before the window.

3. ahead of; in the future of; awaiting.

   The golden age is before us.

4. in preference to; rather than.

   They would die before surrendering.

5. in precedence of, as in order or rank.

   We put freedom before wealth.

6. in the presence or sight of: to appear before an audience.

7. less than; until: used in indicating the exact time.

   It's ten before three.

8. under the jurisdiction or consideration of.

   He was summoned before a magistrate.

9. confronted by; in the face of.

   Before such wild accusations, he was too stunned to reply.

10. in the regard of.

    a crime before God and humanity.

11. under the overwhelming influence of.

    bending before the storm.

12. without figuring or deducting.

    income before deductions.

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adverb

1. in front; in advance; ahead.

   The king entered with macebearers walking before.

   Antonyms:

   behind, after

2. in time preceding; previously.

   If we'd known before, we'd have let you know.

   Antonyms:

   subsequently, afterward

3. earlier or sooner.

   Begin at noon, not before.

   Antonyms:

   later

conjunction

1. previous to the time when.

   Send the telegram before we go.

2. sooner than; rather than.

   I will die before I submit.

before British  

/ bɪˈfɔː /

conjunction

1. earlier than the time when

2. rather than

   he'll resign before he agrees to it

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preposition

1. preceding in space or time; in front of; ahead of

   standing before the altar

2. when confronted by

   to withdraw before one's enemies

3. in the presence of

   to be brought before a judge

4. in preference to

   to put friendship before money

adverb

1. at an earlier time; previously; beforehand; in front

before Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing before

• cart before the horse
• cast pearls before swine
• look before you leap

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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)

Example Sentences

D'Amaro joined the company in 1998 at Disneyland Resort, before rising to his current position as chairman of the Disney Experiences division, which oversees 12 theme parks and 54 resorts globally.

From BBC

At one point, he managed to get the kayak to work - before it threw him for the last time.

From BBC

The issue will get an airing in Congress Tuesday when an independent investigator delving into archives at UBS’s Credit Suisse unit testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee.

From The Wall Street Journal

She ran Fox’s television studio and network before taking over Disney’s TV business and co-heading streaming.

From The Wall Street Journal

The new map shows this effect with greater clarity than ever before.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• ahead
• back
• previously
• since
• sooner