beforehand

American

[bih-fawr-hand, -fohr-] / bɪˈfɔrˌhænd, -ˈfoʊr- /

adverb

in anticipation; in advance; ahead of time.

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

beforehand British

/ bɪˈfɔːˌhænd /

adjective

early; in advance; in anticipation

she came an hour beforehand

"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 beforehand

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

Vocabulary lists containing beforehand

"The River-Merchant's Wife: A Letter" by Ezra Pound

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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.

She said that beforehand, she felt she was "not part of the clever team".

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The actor disclosed his ALS diagnosis to Levinson a few months beforehand.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

Shortly beforehand, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly told Fox News that the prospect of in-person talks had been discussed.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026

People who placed the flurry of futures trades beforehand likely pocketed tens of millions of dollars, according to calculations by a market operator for AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

At about eight in the morning, he texted me that he was going for a run with Ainsley and that he was picking up two bottles of Gatorade beforehand.

From "Pride" by Ibi Zoboi

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