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.
One particularly unusual find was a Marathon-branded chocolate wrapper - the UK name for Snickers until 1990 - found during a clean-up several years ago.
From BBC ● Sep. 20, 2026
I’ve used them my whole life but they haven’t been a staple until recently.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
Researchers then adjusted the voltage until the electrostatic effect exactly balanced the gravitational effect, preventing the torsion balance from turning.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 20, 2026
There could, however, be small steps during the so-called lame-duck session that runs from after the midterms until early January, when a new Congress is sworn in.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 20, 2026
The gunman ignores me, waiting until all three men untie their horses and giddyup down the road before holstering his gun.
From "Will’s Race for Home" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
