beforehand
Americanadverb
adjective
Etymology
Origin of beforehand
First recorded in 1175–1225, beforehand is from the Middle English word bifor-hand. See before, hand
Vocabulary lists containing beforehand
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.
As long as you’re willing to respect people enough to explain your why and not just your what, doing the right thing is oftentimes the politically popular thing, even if it wasn’t beforehand.
From Salon ● Sep. 30, 2026
"The storms that aligned already looked different about a day beforehand," said Fischer, who also is a core faculty member of the Frost Institute for Data Science and Computing.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
Where it is irreversible, the case for delegation has to be made beforehand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 15, 2026
Elsewhere in the city, a front-desk staffer at a health clinic said power outages occurred two to three times a week, usually announced beforehand.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
He sounded surprised, as if I had agreed beforehand to stay.
From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez
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.
