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

Bitdefender found that the only way to avoid the GhostMap exploit without losing data was to have USB debugging enabled on the device beforehand. — James Peckham, PC Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026

What strikes me about this account is that the widow didn’t have to know beforehand how her need would be met. — The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Nov. 2026

Clean the sink, faucet, counters, cutting boards and fridge drawers or shelves beforehand, and use clean knives, peelers and colanders, especially after prepping raw meat, poultry or seafood. — Ryan Brennan, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Nov. 2026

Mail ballots must undergo signature verification, and those received before Election Day can be processed beforehand, but they are not counted until after polls close. — Kathryn Watson, CBS News, 3 Nov. 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