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Synonyms

ere

American  
[air] / ɛər /

preposition

  1. before.


ere British  
/ ɛə /

conjunction

  1. a poetic word for before

"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 ere

before 900; Middle English; Old English ǣr, ēr (cognate with German ehr ), comparative of ār soon, early; cognate with Gothic air. See erst, early

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.

See Examples For:

Adjusted earnings per share, which excludes nonrecurring items, declined to 87 cents from $1.06, but ere above the FactSet consensus of 63 cents.

From MarketWatch Nov. 4, 2025

"Viewers and listeners ere at the centre of what we do," the regulator said in a statement.

From BBC Jun. 12, 2023

The head of the city's civil-military administration said local authorities had a plan to cope with an accident and noted some shells ere falling close to the plant's six reactors.

From Reuters Aug. 22, 2022

“To love that well which thou must leave ere long,” says the Bard.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 5, 2022

Here and there they came upon roving bands of Orcs; but they fled ere the Riders could take or slay them.

From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien

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