before

pronunciation

How to pronounce before in British English: UK [bɪˈfɔː(r)]word uk audio image

How to pronounce before in American English: US [bɪˈfɔːr] word us audio image

  • Adverb:
    earlier in time; previously
    at or in the front

Word Origin

before
before: [OE] Before is a Germanic compound, made up of *bi- ‘by’ and *forana ‘from the front’ (the resulting *biforana entered Old English as beforan). The second element, *forana, is a derivative of *fora, source of English for; this originally meant ‘before’, and only gradually developed the senses we are familiar with today.=> for
before (adv., prep.)
Old English beforan "before, in front of, in the presence of, in former times," from Proto-Germanic *bi- "by" + *forana "from the front," adverbial derivative of *fora (see fore (adv.)). Compare Old Frisian bifara, Old Saxon biforan, Old High German bifora, German bevor. Contrasting before and after in illustrations is from Hogarth (1768). Before the mast in old sailing ships denoting "common sailor," is from the place of their berths, in front of the fore-mast.

Antonym

prep.

after behind

Example

1. Is this a shakespeare I see before me ?
2. Wash carrots thoroughly before use .
3. Have we met somewhere before ?
4. This has never happened before .
5. Bill discusses refining illustrations before going to the computer .

more: >How to Use "Before" with Example Sentences