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before definition

be·fore (bē fôr′, bi-)

adverb

  1. in advance; in front; ahead
  2. in the past; previously I've heard that song before
  3. at an earlier time; sooner come at ten, not before

Etymology: ME biforen < OE beforan < be-, by + foran, fore

  1. ahead of in time, space, order, rank, or importance
  2. located just to the front of he paused before the door
  3. in or into the sight, notice, presence, etc. of a thought flashed before her mind; he stood before his accuser
  4. being considered, judged, or decided by the matter before the committee
  5. earlier than; prior to he left before noon
  6. still to be reached, accomplished, etc. by the hardest task was before them
  7. in preference to; rather than to choose death before dishonor

conjunction

  1. earlier than the time that drop in before you go
  2. sooner than; rather than I'd die before I'd tell

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms before idiom

before Synonyms

before

modif.

  1. In time

    previously, earlier, in the past, since, already, gone by, ago, in old days, heretofore, formerly, anteriorly, antecedently, in days of yore, back, sooner, up to now, ahead, in front, in advance, beforehand, afore, ere, facing, BP, before the present.

    Antonyms in the future, to come, now*.

  2. In space

    ahead, in advance, in front, advanced; see ahead 2.


before

prep.

prior to, previous to, in front of, ahead of, ere, in the presence of, in the sight of, earlier than, anterior to, under jurisdiction of, antecedent to.

Antonyms behind*, following*, at the rear of.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"before." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/before>

APA Style

before. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/before

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