before

adverb or adjective

be·fore | \ bi-ˈfȯr

, bē-\

Definition of before

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : in advance : ahead marching on before

2 : at an earlier time the night before knew her before

before

preposition

Definition of before (Entry 2 of 3)

1a(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

conjunction

Definition of before (Entry 3 of 3)

1a(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 & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about before

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Synonyms & Antonyms for before

Synonyms: Adverb or adjective

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

Synonyms: Preposition

afore [chiefly dialect], ahead of, ere, fore (also 'fore) [chiefly dialect], of, previous to, prior to, to

Antonyms: Adverb or adjective

after, afterward (or afterwards), later

Antonyms: Preposition

after, following

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

There are also reshaped intakes on each side of the grille that look more angular than before, and the front splitter is slightly different. — Daniel Golson, Car and Driver, "The Jaguar F-Type Is Getting a Major Facelift with Some Radical Changes," 20 May 2019 Long detention and multiple arrests are routine in Japan, but rearresting a person who already cleared bail as Ghosn did before is unusual. — Yuri Kageyama, The Seattle Times, "Detention of Nissan’s ex-chair Ghosn extended to April 22," 12 Apr. 2019 In 2012, the city government of Tokyo announced a loosening of restrictions needed to serve the fish, angering some who had devoted years of study (and money) to gain the right to do so before. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "Climate Change Turning Pufferfish into Mutant Hybrids," 11 Dec. 2018 The result: an inky, lived-in black liner look that only hints at the debauchery from the night before. — Karina Hoshikawa, Allure, "Exclusive: Thomas de Kluyver Talks Relaunch of Gucci Beauty, New Role as Global Makeup Artist," 5 May 2019 His appearance at the event wasn't announced until the last minute, presumably in case the royal baby had arrived before then. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince Harry's London Marathon Visit Implies Meghan Hasn't Given Birth Yet," 28 Apr. 2019 Live streams will show what the team is up to before and during the flyby, and mission scientists will be hosting press conferences to provide updates about what New Horizons is up to. — Loren Grush, The Verge, "How to watch as NASA sends a spacecraft past a rock at the edge of the Solar System," 30 Dec. 2018 Ari's been open about dealing with the effects of PTSD before, even showing us her brain scan. — Jasmine Gomez, Seventeen, "8 Times Ariana Grande Has Opened Up About Her Mental Health," 19 Apr. 2019 Though she’s been known to wear a throwback look from Helmut Lang or Thierry Mugler, Kardashian West has mined the Versace archive like no other celebrity has done before, and last night was proof that her fascination with the brand isn’t waning. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Runway to Kim’s Way: A Fashion Compendium on Kardashian West’s Obsession With Vintage Versace," 19 Apr. 2019

Recent Examples on the Web: Preposition

Every year on the evening before the Oscars, Chanel and Charles Finch bring together the brightest stars in Hollywood to celebrate the Academy Awards. — Cameron Bird, Vogue, "Chanel and Charles Finch Host the 11th Annual Pre-Oscars Dinner," 24 Feb. 2019 Cuarón searched for almost a year before finding her. — Katherine J. Igoe, Marie Claire, "What is Alfonso Cuarón's 'Roma' About? The Oscar-Nominated Film Is a Runaway Success," 23 Feb. 2019 While most phones can handle 2x optical zoom before digital algorithms need to take over, 10x optical zoom—where the zoom is hanlded in hardware—is far beyond the capabilities of any handset currently on the market. — Michael Simon, PCWorld, "Oppo's phone tech goes futuristic with 5G and a 10X lossless zoom camera," 23 Feb. 2019 William was also a helicopter pilot for the Royal Air Force's Search and Rescue Force nearly five years before that, The Telegraph reports. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince William Discusses an Emotional Experience as an Air Ambulance Pilot That Relates to His Kids," 23 Jan. 2019 Many states offer financial assistance for weatherizing your home, so be sure to check with your state’s weatherization agency before making any large investments. — Barbara Eldredge, Curbed, "How to save on utility bills," 25 Jan. 2019 According to the site, Liam was seen making out with another girl in early August shortly before the two broke up. — Carolyn Twersky, Seventeen, "A Complete Timeline of Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth's Relationship," 27 Dec. 2018 Lordstown and the surrounding Mahoning Valley in northeast Ohio has been through tough situations before. — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "When towns lose a factory, what comes next?," 29 Nov. 2018 Russia must provide computer data from the lab before Dec. 31 or risk having its national anti-doping agency suspended again, two months after its controversial reinstatement. — James Ellingworth, The Seattle Times, "WADA visits Moscow lab seeking key doping data," 28 Nov. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'before.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.