before

adverb or adjective be·fore \ bi-ˈfȯr , bē- \

|Updated on: 21 Jun 2018

Examples: before in a Sentence

Definition of before

1 : in advance : ahead

marching on before

2 : at an earlier time

the night before

knew her before

See before defined for English-language learners

See before defined for kids

Recent Examples of before from the Web

He had been released from prison just months before after serving 20 years of a 45 year sentence, according to a Daily News story from the time.

— michelle theriault boots, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska’s secretive parole board has almost unlimited power to release prisoners before their sentences are up. It has never been busier.," 17 June 2018
Still, Pigot is 5 years younger than Hildebrand was last year, and Carpenter has shown patience with talented young drivers before.

— jim ayello, Indianapolis Star, "IndyCar midseason review, part III: What's still to come," 17 June 2018
The deadliest of the blazes, the Tubbs Fire that devastated Santa Rosa, blasted through well-known hazard spots, some of which had burned before.

— kurtis alexander, SFChronicle.com, "With wildfire season at hand, California on slightly safer footing this year," 17 June 2018
At first glance of the look, Diana’s costume is pretty much the exact same outfit as before.

— refinery29.com, "Wonder Woman's 1984 Costume Has Subtle Changes — & They Make All The Difference," 16 June 2018
For Petro to even be within striking distance of Duque is a major feat — never before in Colombia’s history has a leftist been so close to the apex of power.

— Washington Post, "Ex-rebel looks to defy odds in Colombia presidential race," 16 June 2018
With AC Milan's Lucas Biglia hampered by injury, Argentina are likely to rely on Ever Banega and Giovani Lo Celso, both of whom have never played in a World Cup before.

— SI.com, "Messi's Supporting Cast: Are They Good Enough to Help Their Greatest Ever Player Win the World Cup?," 16 June 2018
No player has ever won the U.S. Open after winning a PGA Tour event the week before.

— brian costa, WSJ, "Dustin Johnson Opts for Poise Over Power at U.S. Open," 15 June 2018
Not even Prince Harry and Prince William have boarded before.

— caroline picard, Good Housekeeping, "Answers to Everything You've Been Googling About Meghan Markle and the Queen Today," 15 June 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.

Origin and Etymology of before

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

before Synonyms

Phrases

in advance;

before

preposition

Definition of before

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

See before defined for English-language learners

Examples of before in a Sentence

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.

Recent Examples of before from the Web

Ireland’s importance to the world of letters extends well before Joyce.

— robert hackett, Fortune, "When Ireland Rebooted Civilization," 18 June 2018
Kaleo urges that anyone carrying Evzio should replace it before the expiration date.

— max blau, STAT, "Donations of $4,500 overdose antidote were PR gold for drug maker — but some kits were close to expiring," 18 June 2018
Volunteers take calls to our hotline, which is open from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Monday through Friday, and spend time before and after helping mediate consumer disputes.

— tim evans, Indianapolis Star, "Do you want to help IndyStar Call for Action help Hoosiers?," 18 June 2018
The University of Louisville said Lynn Stadium was unavailable, citing concerns over protecting the grass, so the match location was moved to University of Kentucky's soccer complex before Louisville City was knocked out in the third round.

— danielle lerner, The Courier-Journal, "LouCity is winning at Lynn Stadium - so why didn't this happen sooner?," 18 June 2018
Cabrera had been struggling at the plate before the injury.

— vito chirco, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers: 5 numbers you need to know about Hicks, Iglesias, more," 18 June 2018
At this point, there isn’t long left before Preston’s whirlwind journey to the NBA finally ends.

— brendan marks, charlotteobserver, "He was NBA-bound, then 'fell off the face of the earth.' Could Hornets take a chance?," 18 June 2018
Back before the suicide, William puts Juliette to bed.

— bryan bishop, The Verge, "Westworld Spoilers Club season 2, episode 9: Vanishing Point," 18 June 2018
The North Carolina team chooses an honorary manager to do this before each game.

— caitlin o'kane, CBS News, "Soldier surprises girlfriend with homecoming, then drops to one knee for an even bigger surprise," 17 June 2018

Origin and Etymology of before

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

before Synonyms

Synonyms

ahead of, ere, of, previous to, prior to, to;

Antonyms

after, following;

Near Antonyms

next, next to, since;

Related Words

till, until, up to;

Phrases

in advance of;

before

conjunction

Definition of before

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

See before defined for English-language learners

Examples of before in a Sentence

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.

Origin and Etymology of before

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 13th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

See Words from the same year

BEFORE Defined for English Language Learners

before

adverb

Definition of before for English Language Learners

: at an earlier time
: to or toward the place where someone is going : in advance

before

preposition

Definition of before for English Language Learners

: at a time preceding (something or someone) : earlier than (something or someone)
—used to describe a time earlier than a specified hour
: preceding (something or someone) in order or in a series

before

conjunction

Definition of before for English Language Learners

: earlier than the time that : earlier than when
: until the time that
—used to refer to something that might happen

BEFORE Defined for Kids

before

adverb be·fore \ bi-ˈfȯr \

Definition of before for Students

1 : at an earlier time

I've been here before.

2 : ahead

go on before

before

preposition

Definition of before for Students

1 : in front of

He stood before a mirror.

2 : earlier than

You got there before me.

3 : before in order

Your name is listed before mine.

4 : in the presence of

She spoke before a crowd.

before

conjunction

Definition of before for Students

1 : ahead of the time when

Wash before you eat.

2 : sooner or quicker than

I'll be done before you know it.

3 : more willingly than

I'd starve before I'd steal.

4 : until the time that

It wasn't long before he caught on.

Law Dictionary

before

preposition be·fore

legal Definition of before

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

Learn More about before

See words that rhyme with before Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for before Spanish Central: Translation of before Nglish: Translation of before for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of before for Arabic speakers

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before

Definition of before

Recent Examples of before from the Web

Origin and Etymology of before

before Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

before

Definition of before

Examples of before in a Sentence

Recent Examples of before from the Web

Origin and Etymology of before

before Synonyms

Synonyms

Antonyms

Near Antonyms

Related Words

Phrases

before

Definition of before

Examples of before in a Sentence

Origin and Etymology of before

BEFORE Defined for English Language Learners

before

Definition of before for English Language Learners

before

Definition of before for English Language Learners

before

Definition of before for English Language Learners

BEFORE Defined for Kids

before

Definition of before for Students

before

Definition of before for Students

before

Definition of before for Students

Law Dictionary

before

legal Definition of before

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