until

[uhn-til]

conjunction

1. up to the time that or when; till.

   He read until his guests arrived.

2. before (usually used in negative constructions).

   They did not come until the meeting was half over.

preposition

1. onward to or till (a specified time or occurrence).

   She worked until 6 p.m.

2. before (usually used in negative constructions).

   He did not go until night.

3. Scot. and North England.,  to; unto.

until

/ ʌnˈtɪl /

conjunction

1. up to (a time) that

   he laughed until he cried

2. (used with a negative) before (a time or event)

   until you change, you can't go out

preposition

1. (often preceded by up) in or throughout the period before

   he waited until six

2. (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

Confusables Note

See till ¹.

Word History and Origins

Origin of until¹

First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English untill, from un- (from Old Norse unz “up to, as far as”) + till till ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of until¹

C13 untill; related to Old High German unt unto, until, Old Norse und; see _till ¹

Idioms and Phrases

see put off until tomorrow; talk one's arm off (until blue in the face). Also see under till.

Example Sentences

I didn’t see the throughline of the album until I had probably five songs, and then I saw this water theme that I kept going back to.

From Los Angeles Times

Then we started going to this American church, and that’s all I really knew from that point until I stopped going to church when I was 17.

From Los Angeles Times

She succeeds her father, the late Democratic Rep. Raúl Grijalva, who served in the House of Representatives from 2003 until his death in March.

From Salon

Here in Eastern, the prison whose security staff held the strike line the longest in southern New York, officials until fairly recently limited Bard College classes, canceled a TEDx Talk program, shuttered the Family Reunion Program, and nixed weekday visits.

From Slate

As his assailants walked away, he started to follow them until one of them shouted: “Nah, hold it down! Hold it down!”

From Slate