Before Definition & Meaning

American

British

Idioms

Etymology

Examples

Related Words

Synonyms before American [bih-fawr, -fohr] / bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊr /

preposition

1. previous to; earlier or sooner than.

   Phone me before noon.

2. in front of; ahead of; in advance of.

   his shadow advancing before him;

   She stood before the window.

3. ahead of; in the future of; awaiting.

   The golden age is before us.

4. in preference to; rather than.

   They would die before surrendering.

5. in precedence of, as in order or rank.

   We put freedom before wealth.

6. in the presence or sight of: to appear before an audience.

7. less than; until: used in indicating the exact time.

   It's ten before three.

8. under the jurisdiction or consideration of.

   He was summoned before a magistrate.

9. confronted by; in the face of.

   Before such wild accusations, he was too stunned to reply.

10. in the regard of.

    a crime before God and humanity.

11. under the overwhelming influence of.

    bending before the storm.

12. without figuring or deducting.

    income before deductions.

adverb

1. in front; in advance; ahead.

   The king entered with macebearers walking before.

   Antonyms: behind, after

2. in time preceding; previously.

   If we'd known before, we'd have let you know.

   Antonyms: subsequently, afterward

3. earlier or sooner.

   Begin at noon, not before.

   Antonyms: later

conjunction

1. previous to the time when.

   Send the telegram before we go.

2. sooner than; rather than.

   I will die before I submit.

before British / bɪˈfɔː /

conjunction

1. earlier than the time when

2. rather than

   he'll resign before he agrees to it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

preposition

1. preceding in space or time; in front of; ahead of

   standing before the altar

2. when confronted by

   to withdraw before one's enemies

3. in the presence of

   to be brought before a judge

4. in preference to

   to put friendship before money

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

adverb

1. at an earlier time; previously; beforehand; in front

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 before Idioms

More idioms and phrases containing before

• cart before the horse
• cast pearls before swine
• look before you leap

Etymology

Origin of before

First recorded before 1000; Middle English beforen, Old English beforan, equivalent to be by + foran “before” ( fore fore 1 + -an adverb suffix)

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.

He was accused of ceasing his rent payments in October 2016, two months before his lease came to an end in December of that year.

From MarketWatch

Three years before Buffett died, the city told him the studio was no longer safe, Jamison said.

From The Wall Street Journal

Rare-earth magnet exports to Japan had also returned to normal levels even before the October deal between the U.S. and China, according to Chinese trade data.

From The Wall Street Journal

Baskets were a ubiquitous part of Chumash life before the colonists came.

From Los Angeles Times

“It feels like a punctuation mark that feels appropriate,” Sarah Jessica Parker tells The Times the day before receiving the Golden Globes’ Carol Burnett Award.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• ahead
• back
• previously
• since
• sooner

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.