before

[bih-fawr, -fohr]

preposition

1. previous to; earlier or sooner than.

   Phone me before noon.

2. in front of; ahead of; in advance of.

   his shadow advancing before him;

   She stood before the window.

3. ahead of; in the future of; awaiting.

   The golden age is before us.

4. in preference to; rather than.

   They would die before surrendering.

5. in precedence of, as in order or rank.

   We put freedom before wealth.

6. in the presence or sight of: to appear before an audience.

7. less than; until: used in indicating the exact time.

   It's ten before three.

8. under the jurisdiction or consideration of.

   He was summoned before a magistrate.

9. confronted by; in the face of.

   Before such wild accusations, he was too stunned to reply.

10. in the regard of.

    a crime before God and humanity.

11. under the overwhelming influence of.

    bending before the storm.

12. without figuring or deducting.

    income before deductions.

adverb

1. in front; in advance; ahead.

   The king entered with macebearers walking before.

   Antonyms: behind, after

2. in time preceding; previously.

   If we'd known before, we'd have let you know.

   Antonyms: subsequently, afterward

3. earlier or sooner.

   Begin at noon, not before.

   Antonyms: later

conjunction

1. previous to the time when.

   Send the telegram before we go.

2. sooner than; rather than.

   I will die before I submit.

before

/ bɪˈfɔː /

conjunction

1. earlier than the time when

2. rather than

   he'll resign before he agrees to it

preposition

1. preceding in space or time; in front of; ahead of

   standing before the altar

2. when confronted by

   to withdraw before one's enemies

3. in the presence of

   to be brought before a judge

4. in preference to

   to put friendship before money

adverb

1. at an earlier time; previously; beforehand; in front

Word History and Origins

Origin of before¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English beforen, Old English beforan, equivalent to be by + foran “before” ( fore fore ¹ + -an adverb suffix)

Word History and Origins

Origin of before¹

Old English beforan ; related to Old Frisian befara , Old High German bifora

Idioms and Phrases

• cart before the horse
• cast pearls before swine
• look before you leap

Example Sentences

"Countries like the Philippines may catch up, but India's scale and early start in AI sourcing gives us a five to seven-year advantage. We must leverage it before the gap narrows," she says.

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It is not the first time Northern Ireland's young players had matched Germany after a battling 60 minutes in Cologne before the hosts pulled clear with a quickfire double.

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The 41-year-old American, who spent five seasons as Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator before taking over Tennessee last year, finished 4-19 guiding the Titans over two campaigns.

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"My father, an uncle and I came before the rest of the family by sea. The small ship was overloaded and very unstable. All the time we feared the vessel might capsize."

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"Looking at the global picture of deforestation, it is dark, but we may be in the darkness before the dawn," she said.

Read more on Barron's

Related Words

• ahead 
• back 
• previously 
• since 
• sooner