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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

until

The man, from Woking, said he had no idea the cards had any value until he read in his local newspaper about a single card fetching more than £6,000.

From BBC ● Oct. 22, 2026

As a result, he says the logistics company plans to hold back on major capital expenditures until projects are officially approved, continuing to direct capital toward active growth areas like mining.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 22, 2026

This flexibility allows the molecules to keep trying different combinations until they form particular closed structures.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 22, 2026

Russell’s filmography has something for everyone — and, until this year, something for no one: his controversial 1971 religious epic “The Devils,” a film as heavily censored as it was widely banned.

From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2026

“Nope. And you’re not allowed to be either. Not until we finish what we started.”

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

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