until

American  

[uhn-til] / ʌnˈtɪl /

conjunction

1. up to the time that or when; till.

   He read until his guests arrived.

2. before (usually used in negative constructions).

   They did not come until the meeting was half over.

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preposition

1. onward to or till (a specified time or occurrence).

   She worked until 6 p.m.

2. before (usually used in negative constructions).

   He did not go until night.

3. Scot. and North England. to; unto.

until British  

/ ʌnˈtɪl /

conjunction

1. up to (a time) that

   he laughed until he cried

2. (used with a negative) before (a time or event)

   until you change, you can't go out

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preposition

1. (often preceded by up) in or throughout the period before

   he waited until six

2. (used with a negative) earlier than; before

   he won't come until tomorrow

until Idioms  

1. see put off until tomorrow; talk one's arm off (until blue in the face). Also see under till.

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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

See Examples For:

until

"Hopefully the reserve in the pond will last until it rains but because it hasn't rained in so long, this is desperate measures," he said.

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Typically, the more expensive summer blend goes on until the end of October.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 7, 2026

"I am suspending their use in the high school student protests until the facts of the incident have been clarified," said Nunez.

From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026

For now, industry analysts expect the U.S. to maintain ambiguity on the tariffs at least until after the midterm elections as it grapples with inflation concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 7, 2026

Ruby leans over and says, “Shh, don’t cry, it’s okay. You don’t have to tell me anything until you’re ready. There’s a math assignment that I’m trying to avoid, so take your time,” she teases.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold