until

American  

[uhn-til] / ʌnˈtɪl /

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.

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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 British  

/ 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

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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

until Idioms  

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

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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

Commonly Confused

See till ¹.

Etymology

Origin of until

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

Example Sentences

“If you were a homebuyer, you’d hold off on buying a new house until you knew that home prices have at least stabilized and the developer doesn’t default, leaving you with an unfinished home,” he said.

From The Wall Street Journal

However, the Department of Business and Trade has confirmed these have been delayed until next autumn at the earliest after retailers raised questions.

From BBC

"In summer, you set your thermostat around 78°F. As the air temperature climbs outside during the day, the air conditioning removes the excess heat inside until the room temperature comes down to 78° and then it stops," Ridgwell said.

From Science Daily

There are 47 days to go until the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, which run from 6-22 February.

From BBC

As a wire-service correspondent, Arnett was known mostly to fellow journalists when he reported in Vietnam from 1962 until the war’s end in 1975.

From Los Angeles Times