before

1 of 3

adverb or adjective

be·​fore bi-ˈfȯr 

bē-

1

: in advance : ahead

marching on before

2

: at an earlier time

the night before

knew her before

before

2 of 3

preposition

1

a(1)

: forward of : in front of

stood before the fire

(2)

: in the presence of

speaking before the conference

b

: under the jurisdiction or consideration of

the case before the court

c(1)

: at the disposal of

the great sums placed before him

(2)

: in store for

got the whole summer before you

2

: preceding in time : earlier than

just before noon

3

: in a higher or more important position than

put quantity before quality

before

3 of 3

conjunction

1

a(1)

: earlier than the time that

call me before you go

(2)

: sooner or quicker than

I'll be done before you know it

(3)

: so that … do not

get out of there before you get dirty

b

: until the time that

miles to go before I sleep

—Robert Frost

c(1)

: or else … not

must be convicted before he can be removed from office

(2)

: or else

get out of here before I call a cop

2

: rather or sooner than

would starve before he'd steal

Synonyms

Adverb or adjective

• afore [chiefly dialect]
• ahead
• already
• antecedently
• anteriorly
• beforehand
• earlier
• formerly
• preliminarily
• previously

Preposition

• afore [chiefly dialect]
• ahead of
• ere
• fore [chiefly dialect]
• 'fore
• of
• previous to
• prior to
• to

Examples of before in a Sentence

Preposition

We arrived shortly before six o'clock.

He left just before sunrise.

I've never seen her so happy before now.

Call me before your arrival.

She arrived the day before yesterday.

Why haven't you ever helped me before now?

Your name is listed before mine.

You'll see my house just before the bank and after the school.

The Great Plains stretched endlessly before them.

The championship fight took place before a crowd of thousands.

Conjunction

He left long before morning came.

Say goodbye before you go.

Call me before you arrive.

I finished the exam before he did.

It was not long before he arrived.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adverb or adjective

The Supreme Court decision also means that HR leaders are going to have to work directly with more employees than ever before, according to Lauren Hartz, a partner at law firm Jenner & Block, who says bosses at all levels will be looking to HR for guidance. —Paige McGlauflin, Fortune, 18 Apr. 2024

The machine is stronger than before, has an illuminated head and more swiveling joints, as well as a new all-electric power source. —Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 18 Apr. 2024

These days, more women than ever before are living alone, which builds economic independence and eliminates positions of unequal bargaining power within the household. —TIME, 18 Apr. 2024

Second Chance Re-Use: April 20 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., browse the Second Chance Sample giveaway of the materials dropped off the day before. —Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 18 Apr. 2024

Nicholson had only really entertained the thought of leaving home once before, committing out of junior college in 2021 to Kentucky. —Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2024

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires that healthcare personnel perform hand hygiene immediately before and after touching a patient. —Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024

Read our layoff survival guide to get step-by-step advice on what to do before, during and after you’re let go. —Danielle Abril, Washington Post, 17 Apr. 2024

Part of the attraction of observing the weather may lie in the extent to which each day is unique, with features, large or small, that distinguish it from those that came before. —Martin Weil, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024

Preposition

Swift praised Post Malone on Instagram the day before releasing her new album. —Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 19 Apr. 2024

The mother of one then posted from the hospital over the subsequent weeks, including sharing shots of herself receiving visits from her pets, before deleting all of the photos from Instagram. —Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 19 Apr. 2024

That's despite Wisconsin Union staff repeatedly warning people to stop jumping, including just 10 minutes before the collapse, the report said. —Kelly Meyerhofer, Journal Sentinel, 19 Apr. 2024

When the moon moves into the inner part of Earth's shadow, or umbra, according to NASA, some of the sunlight entering Earth's skies scatters before reaching the moon's surface. —John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 19 Apr. 2024

Well, we [performed on Miley Cyrus’ New Year’s Eve special] on the new year’s before last. —Katie Bain, Billboard, 19 Apr. 2024

The father-son duo set up before day break on opening morning and eventually had four toms come into their decoys. —Travis Hall, Field & Stream, 19 Apr. 2024

The date means the BAFTAs will come exactly two weeks before the 2025 Oscars, set for March 2. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024

Knowing this, state lawmakers made a one-time change to reduce the deadline from 90 days before the election to 60, Niven said. —Kyle Melnick, Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adverb or adjective

Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English beforan, from be- + foran before, from fore

Preposition

Middle English before, beforen, going back to Old English beforan — more at before entry 1

Conjunction

Middle English before, beforen, from before, beforen, before entry 2

First Known Use

Adverb Or Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Preposition

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Conjunction

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Phrases Containing before

• (and) not before time (too)
• been/gone down this/that road before
• before bed
• before long
• before one can blink
• before one knows it
• before one's time
• before someone's eyes
• before the hour
• before the mast
• before the wind
• bring before
• carry all/everything before (one)
• cast/throw pearls before swine
• count one's chickens (before they hatch)
• count one's chickens before they're hatched
• die before one's time
• go before
• look before one leaps
• old before one's time
• put before
• put the cart before the horse
• the calm/lull before the storm
• the day before yesterday
• walk before one can run
• walk before one runs

Kids Definition

before

1 of 3 adverb

be·​fore bi-ˈfō(ə)r 

-ˈfȯ(ə)r

1

: in advance : ahead

go on before

2

: at an earlier time

was here before

before

2 of 3 preposition

1

a

: forward of : in front of

stood before a mirror

b

: in the presence of

spoke before the legislature

2

: under the consideration of

the case before the court

3

: earlier than

got there before me

come before six

before

3 of 3 conjunction

1

: earlier than the time when

think before you speak

2

: more willingly than

I'd starve before I'd steal

Legal Definition

before

preposition

be·​fore

1

: in the presence of

then personally appeared before me

2

: to be judged or acted on by

a case before the court

a bill coming up before Congress