Synonyms

beforehand

American

[bih-fawr-hand, -fohr-] / bɪˈfɔrˌhænd, -ˈfoʊr- /

adverb

in anticipation; in advance; ahead of time.

We should have made reservations beforehand. I hope to be beforehand with my report.

beforehand British

/ bɪˈfɔːˌhænd /

adjective

early; in advance; in anticipation

she came an hour beforehand

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of beforehand

First recorded in 1175–1225, beforehand is from the Middle English word bifor-hand. See before, hand

Vocabulary lists containing beforehand

"The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" by Ezra Pound

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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.

Beforehand, some legal experts predicted the president would lose in a rout.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 1, 2026

Beforehand, Salfordian frontman Shaun Ryder told BBC News it was "brilliant that those lazy bastards from London have decided to get off their bums and come up north for an hour or two".

From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026

Beforehand, each teacher watched one of two videos introducing this student.

From Scientific American • Oct. 27, 2023

Beforehand, he said, he felt like he was “really flapping my wings” trying to fly.

From New York Times • May 6, 2023

Beforehand, we'd had face-recognition cameras covering nearly every public space in school, but a court ruled that was unconstitutional.

From Little Brother by Doctorow, Cory

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023