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

Forza do plan to do something on a small scale for the Porto game, while Sunday’s visit of Burnley will see their annual flotilla of boats on the River Trent beforehand. —Paul Taylor, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026

California law specifies timelines during which a special election may be scheduled, with a primary election nine or 10 weeks beforehand. —Grace Hase, Mercury News, 14 Apr. 2026

The contractor said all hazardous materials were removed from the building beforehand. —Steve Maugeri, CBS News, 12 Apr. 2026

And following a tradition that dates back to the Apollo program, the crew was awakened each day by a different song, picked from a list that the astronauts had selected beforehand. —Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 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