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.
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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.
After Guzmán’s arrest, Zambada became the highest-ranking leader of the cartel until his capture in 2024.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
Up until this point, the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham has described his policy changes with a broad brush.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
Throughout the World Cup, the team slithered away from trouble again and again … until the final game.
From Slate ● Jul. 20, 2026
O’Malley wrote that scale-up volume won’t become “material” until 2029 or 2030.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
Harry filled his mind—her braids, the deep warm glow of her skin, her smile —all of it coming together like a mist until she was the only thing he could picture.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
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.
