Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

afore

American  
[uh-fawr, uh-fohr] / əˈfɔr, əˈfoʊr /

adverb

Older Use.

  1. before.

afore British  
/ əˈfɔː /

adverb

  1. an archaic or dialect word for before

"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 afore

before 900; late Middle English; Middle English aforne, aforen, Old English on foran. See a- 1, fore 1

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.

The afore mentioned suppliers sold millions of yards of concrete, making millions in profits.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 28, 2022

Neither he nor the robot look like they could erect a sturdy cabin afore winter comes.

From The Guardian • Jan. 20, 2018

There’s still one more full — and final — Alaska day afore us.

From Washington Times • Oct. 3, 2017

“This afore is well known for being relatively slow at moving into risky assets,” said Alonso Cervera, chief Latin America economist at Credit Suisse Group Ltd. in Mexico City.

From BusinessWeek • Dec. 30, 2010

This was afore the Elders found out what he was doing and quick made sure it didn’t happen again.

From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.