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

Preparation for the two-day fire drill began more than a month beforehand. —Jessica Mathews, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025

Particularly striking are the scenes of protests and the preparations for them beforehand. —Matthew Carey, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025

There are also egos to consider, notes one sales exec, who claims agencies are now reluctant for projects featuring their bigger names to launch without some money committed to paper beforehand. —Alex Ritman, Variety, 10 Nov. 2025

Parents were not notified beforehand that bathrooms would no longer be separated by gender — prompting at least one student to seek out other facilities, according to a parent’s letter. —Landon Mion, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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

Kids Definition

beforehand

adverb

be·​fore·​hand -ˌhand 

: ahead of time : in advance