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before
[ bih-fawr, -fohr ]
/ bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊr /
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This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
preposition
adverb
conjunction
previous to the time when: Send the telegram before we go.
sooner than; rather than: I will die before I submit.
OPPOSITES FOR before
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Words nearby before
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use before in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for before
before
/ (bɪˈfɔː) /
conjunction (subordinating)
earlier than the time when
rather thanhe'll resign before he agrees to it
preposition
adverb
at an earlier time; previously; beforehand; in front
Word Origin for before
Old English beforan; related to Old Frisian befara, Old High German bifora
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with before
before
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.