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)

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

Updated analyses of human remains and related artifacts indicated that people may have appeared in Britain before the warming event previously thought necessary for survival there.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

Jail records show Cloobeck, 64, was arrested before 11 a.m. and booked at the West Hollywood station on $300,000 bail, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department jail booking records.

From Los Angeles Times • May 13, 2026

But Saints stand accused of spying on their opponents before one of the most important games of the season, a play-off semi-final.

From BBC • May 13, 2026

Researchers say the famous comet known as Halley's Comet may have been identified as a repeating object centuries before British astronomer Edmond Halley gave it his name.

From Science Daily • May 13, 2026

I think back to the day before, which was the same as the three days before that, which was Dad, Jonah, and me working in the apartment building.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

Related Words

• ahead
• back
• previously
• since
• sooner