before

beforepreposition

Before places one thing earlier than another, in time, in front, or in order of importance.

1. earlier thanearlier in time than something

   • Please arrive before nine o'clock.
   • Wash your hands before dinner.
   • She left before the end of the movie.
   • Think carefully before making your decision.

   Collocations

   phrase just before, shortly before, right before

   Antonyms after

2. ahead ofin front of someone or something, or ahead of it in order or importance

   • She stood before the judge to explain herself.
   • His name comes before mine on the list.
   • He puts his family before his career.
   • The knight knelt before the king.

   Collocations

   verb + preposition stand before, kneel before, put something before something, come before

   Synonyms in front of (in front of is the everyday word for physical position; before is more formal or literary in this sense)

   Antonyms after

See also after; before

beforeconjunction

1. earlier thanat a time earlier than the time when something happens

   A before clause names the later of two actions; the main clause names the earlier one. In a clause about the future, before takes the present tense (before you go), not will.

   • Wash your hands before you eat.
   • Before we left, we checked all the windows.
   • I'd like to see the city before I go home.
   • She had never flown before she went to college. (past perfect in the main clause)

   Antonyms after

   For translators (sense 1)

   Grammar trap In a clause about the future, before takes the present tense, not will: before you go, not before you will go.

2. time passingused after a length of time to say how long passes until something happens

   The phrase before before names a length of time, often with it was or it will be (it was a long time, it will be weeks). The before clause names the thing that happens at the end of that time.

   • It was a long time before she answered.
   • It will be weeks before the house is ready.
   • It took three days before anyone noticed the mistake.

   For translators (sense 2)

   Meaning across languages Many languages say this in a different way, for example by turning the sentence around (only after a long time did she answer). A word-for-word translation of before may sound wrong.

See also before (before a noun or an -ing form (before lunch, before going)); before (without a following clause (I have seen it before))