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before
[ bih-fawr, -fohr ]
preposition
- previous to; earlier or sooner than:
Phone me before noon.
- in front of; ahead of; in advance of:
his shadow advancing before him;
She stood before the window.
- ahead of; in the future of; awaiting:
The golden age is before us.
- in preference to; rather than:
They would die before surrendering.
- in precedence of, as in order or rank:
We put freedom before wealth.
- in the presence or sight of: to appear before an audience.
- less than; until: used in indicating the exact time:
It's ten before three.
- under the jurisdiction or consideration of:
He was summoned before a magistrate.
- confronted by; in the face of:
Before such wild accusations, he was too stunned to reply.
- in the regard of:
a crime before God and humanity.
- under the overwhelming influence of:
bending before the storm.
- without figuring or deducting:
income before deductions.
adverb
- in front; in advance; ahead:
The king entered with macebearers walking before.
Antonyms: ,
- in time preceding; previously:
If we'd known before, we'd have let you know.
Antonyms: ,
- earlier or sooner:
Begin at noon, not before.
Antonyms:
conjunction
- previous to the time when:
Send the telegram before we go.
- sooner than; rather than:
I will die before I submit.
before
/ ɪˈɔː /
conjunction
- earlier than the time when
- rather than
he'll resign before he agrees to it
preposition
- preceding in space or time; in front of; ahead of
standing before the altar
- when confronted by
to withdraw before one's enemies
- in the presence of
to be brought before a judge
- in preference to
to put friendship before money
adverb
- at an earlier time; previously; beforehand; in front
51Թ History and Origins
51Թ History and Origins
Origin of before1
Idioms and Phrases
- cart before the horse
- cast pearls before swine
- look before you leap
Example Sentences
The U.S. first sent ground troops to Vietnam in March 1965 to support South Vietnam against revolutionary forces and North Vietnamese troops, but the war had been going on for years before then.
One of those in question was created before Ms Maehashi published hers, she claims.
However the lead lasted less than three minutes before Kane tied it on a wrist shot from the high slot.
The growing consensus is that the Democrats are marching out a vanguard of ancient party members to fight the war before the last war.
A former minister of Aboriginal Affairs when a Queensland state MP in the 1980s, Mr Katter says he thinks about the struggles of many Indigenous Australians "every night before I go to bed".
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Related 51Թs
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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