until
Americanconjunction
-
up to the time that or when; till.
He read until his guests arrived.
-
before (usually used in negative constructions).
They did not come until the meeting was half over.
preposition
-
onward to or till (a specified time or occurrence).
She worked until 6 p.m.
-
before (usually used in negative constructions).
He did not go until night.
-
Scot. and North England. to; unto.
conjunction
-
up to (a time) that
he laughed until he cried
-
(used with a negative) before (a time or event)
until you change, you can't go out
preposition
-
(often preceded by up) in or throughout the period before
he waited until six
-
(used with a negative) earlier than; before
he won't come until tomorrow
Usage
The use of until such time as (as in industrial action will continue until such time as our demands are met ) is unnecessary and should be avoided: industrial action will continue until our demands are met
Commonly Confused
See till 1.
Etymology
Origin of until
First recorded in 1150–1200; Middle English untill, from un- (from Old Norse unz “up to, as far as”) + till till 1
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.
The links remained on the Scottish Borders Council website until officials were alerted to the issue by the BBC earlier this month.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Paramount’s agreement with Warner included a “ticking fee” with payments to Warner shareholders of roughly $650 million a quarter, beginning this October, until the transaction closes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 22, 2026
Glass preforms are heated until their structure becomes loose enough to be drawn into extremely thin fibers.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 22, 2026
That was until Friday, when the O.C. district attorney’s office decided to set aside his guilty plea and vacate the conviction, following a review from its Conviction Integrity Unit.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The front of the cortex seems to be hanging in space until you realize that your face fits the space underneath.
From "Phineas Gage" by John Fleischman
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.
