beforehand

[bih-fawr-hand, -fohr-]

adverb

1. in anticipation; in advance; ahead of time.

   We should have made reservations beforehand. I hope to be beforehand with my report.

beforehand

/ bɪˈfɔːˌhænd /

adjective

1. early; in advance; in anticipation

   she came an hour beforehand

Word History and Origins

Origin of beforehand¹

First recorded in 1175–1225, beforehand is from the Middle English word bifor-hand. See before, hand

Example Sentences

If you know you’re overly reactive to certain conversations, let your partner know beforehand so that they aren’t caught off guard in the moment.

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They’re staring stoic holes into me from the wall, seething as if they had gotten into a brawl beforehand and were forced to take a picture with one another afterward.

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A trial date of 16 March was set with a review to take place beforehand.

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Last week, Nandy was found to have "unknowingly" breached public appointment rules by not checking beforehand whether he had donated, and taking steps to mitigate the risk of a perceived conflict of interest.

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The fight was cancelled 48 hours beforehand and Benn began a two-year battle against a lengthy doping ban.

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Related Words

• earlier www.thesaurus.com
• sooner