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.
Most house hunters wouldn’t dare buy a home sight unseen, but at auctions bidders are rarely given a peek inside beforehand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
So, I went to scout it out beforehand — and I almost couldn’t believe my eyes.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
It was a case of “travel and arrive’” for the stock whereby investors expected strong results beforehand and were positioned for it, triggering profit-taking.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
Instead, they learned only two separate things beforehand: that the blue flower provided a reward and that the ball was a movable, harmless object.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 3, 2026
If King Eiddileg had lost weight, Taran thought to himself, what must he have been like beforehand?
From "The Book of Three" by Lloyd Alexander
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.
