until
Americanconjunction
-
up to the time that or when; till.
He read until his guests arrived.
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before (usually used in negative constructions).
They did not come until the meeting was half over.
preposition
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onward to or till (a specified time or occurrence).
She worked until 6 p.m.
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before (usually used in negative constructions).
He did not go until night.
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Scot. and North England. to; unto.
conjunction
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up to (a time) that
he laughed until he cried
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(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.
And rising temperatures also mean that Europe’s wildfire season is getting longer, with officials saying that the current one could continue until early November.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026
The think tank said in its latest economic outlook that it does not believe the central bank will cut interest rates until 2028.
From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026
Following the meetings, all three men attended the funeral of Sen. Lindsey Graham, the South Carolina Republican who up until his death on July 11 was a staunch supporter of both Ukraine and Israel.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
Although manufacturer De Havilland restarted production in 2024, the first delivery -- of just two aircraft -- to France won't happen until at least 2028.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Deputies will wait here until you go,” the sheriff sneers before sauntering toward the sandy-haired man.
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.
