beforehand

adverb or adjective

be·​fore·​hand bi-ˈfȯr-ˌhand 

bē-

1

a

: in anticipation

b

: in advance

2

: ahead of time : early

Synonyms of beforehand

• early
• immediately

Examples of beforehand in a Sentence

if you arrive beforehand, we won't be entirely prepared yet

if you get ready beforehand, you won't have to rush at the last minute

Recent Examples on the Web

People were worried beforehand about the ticket prices and the stadiums maybe not being full. — Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 1 July 2026

Neither Brown nor anyone on scene came to her assistance beforehand, per the lawsuit. — Taijuan Moorman, USA Today, 1 July 2026

To set expectations, watch live concert videos of the artist together beforehand. — Lauren Schuster, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 29 June 2026

Making that decision beforehand removes the temptation to drive when conditions aren’t safe. — Aaa - Mountain Group, Sacbee.com, 30 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

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

Rhymes for beforehand

• analysand
• misunderstand
• ampersand
• behindhand
• bottomland
• contraband
• countermand
• dixieland
• fairyland
• fatherland
• firebrand
• hinterland

Kids Definition

beforehand

adverb

be·​fore·​hand -ˌhand 

: ahead of time : in advance