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before

be·fore
B b

Transcription

    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • UK Pronunciation
    • UK IPA
    • [bih-fawr, -fohr]
    • /bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊr/
    • /bɪˈfɔː(r)/
    • US Pronunciation
    • US IPA
    • [bih-fawr, -fohr]
    • /bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊr/

Definitions of before word

  • preposition before If something happens before a particular date, time, or event, it happens earlier than that date, time, or event. 3
  • preposition before Before is also a conjunction. 3
  • preposition before If you do one thing before doing something else, you do it earlier than the other thing. 3
  • adverb before You use before when you are talking about time. For example, if something happened the day before a particular date or event, it happened during the previous day. 3
  • adverb before Before is also a preposition. 3
  • conjunction before If you do something before someone else can do something, you do it when they have not yet done it. 3

Information block about the term

Origin of before

First appearance:

before 1000
One of the 6% oldest English words
before 1000; Middle English beforen, Old English beforan, equivalent to be by1 + foran before (fore fore1 + -an adv. suffix)

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Before

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation

before popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 99% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.
Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

before usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for before

adv before

  • previously — coming or occurring before something else; prior: the previous owner.
  • ahead — Something that is ahead is in front of you. If you look ahead, you look directly in front of you.
  • since — from then till now (often preceded by ever): He was elected in 1978 and has been president ever since.
  • back — If you move back, you move in the opposite direction to the one in which you are facing or in which you were moving before.
  • ante — the gaming stake put up before the deal in poker by the players

prep before

  • preceding — that precedes; previous: Refer back to the footnote on the preceding page.
  • in front of — the foremost part or surface of anything.

Antonyms for before

adv before

  • afterward — If you do something or if something happens afterward, you do it or it happens after a particular event or time that has already been mentioned.
  • later — occurring, coming, or being after the usual or proper time: late frosts; a late spring.
  • after — If something happens after a particular date or event, it happens during the period of time that follows that date or event.
  • behind — If something is behind a thing or person, it is on the other side of them from you, or nearer their back rather than their front.

Top questions with before

  • who was the president before obama?
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  • how many dates before relationship?
  • why can t you eat before surgery?

See also

Matching words

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