INDEX:
1. before you do something or before something happens
2. before a particular time or date
3. before now
4. someone or something that existed before or that you had before
5. before someone or something else in a list, line, series etc
6. a time, day, month etc that comes before another one
7. to happen or exist before someone or something else
8. to do something before someone else does it
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ AFTER
the time before now : ↑ PAST
see also
↑ EARLY
↑ FIRST
↑ PREPARE
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1. before you do something or before something happens
▷ before /bɪˈfɔːʳ/ [preposition/conjunction]
before you do something or before an event happens :
▪ The family left France just before the war.
▪ Think carefully before you give your final answer.
▪ Before I had a chance to say anything, David walked away.
before doing something
▪ Before joining IBM, Frank worked for Toshiba.
▪ You should check the oil before beginning a long car journey.
before that
▪ We spent two years in Thailand, and before that we lived in China.
▪ I was a waiter for six months, and before that I worked in a supermarket.
a week/two days/five years etc before
▪ I was born just eleven months before my brother.
▷ beforehand also ahead of time American /bɪˈfɔːʳhænd, əˌhed əv ˈtaɪm/ [adverb]
if you do something beforehand or ahead of time, you do it before you do something else, especially to make the situation easier :
▪ Let me know ahead of time if you need a ride to the airport.
▪ We had agreed beforehand not to tell anyone else about our plans.
▷ first /fɜːʳst/ [adverb]
before you do something else :
▪ Add the onions and garlic first, then the mushrooms.
▪ ‘Shall we go for some lunch?’ ‘Yeah, great, let me just make a quick call first.’
▷ in advance /ɪn ədˈvɑːnsǁ-ˈvæns/ [adverb]
if you do something in advance, you do it before another event happens, especially so that you are prepared :
▪ Pasta salad is a dish that you can easily prepare in advance.
▪ I wish you’d told me in advance that you were going to be late.
in advance of
▪ Your passport application should be submitted well in advance of your departure.
three days/six months/a year etc in advance
▪ Preparations for the president’s visit had been made several months in advance.
▷ pre- /priː/ [prefix]
pre-war/pre-Christmas/pre-Roman etc
before the war, Christmas etc :
▪ Life in pre-war Britain was simpler and less fast-paced.
▪ As usual, the government seems to have forgotten most of its pre-election promises.
▷ prior to /ˈpraɪəʳ tuː/ [preposition] formal
before, especially before a particular event or date :
▪ I spoke with Sarah prior to the meeting.
prior to doing something
▪ The doctor should have told you about the possible side effects prior to starting you on the medication.
▷ on the eve of/in the run-up to /ɒn ði ˈiːv ɒv, ɪn ðə ˈrʌn ʌp tuː/ [preposition]
the time before an important event :
▪ On the eve of the election, some of the candidates were showing signs of strain.
▪ No-one claimed responsibility for the bombing, which occurred on the eve of the Prime Minister’s visit.
▪ Another round of TV debates will be held in the run-up to the referendum.
▷ advance /ədˈvɑːnsǁədˈvæns/ [adjective only before noun]
given or done before the time that a particular event takes place or before the time that something is expected to happen :
▪ Aid workers say the village had no advance warning of the floods.
▪ Advance bookings for the concert start today.
▪ Airport visas may be obtained if forty-eight hours advance notice has been provided.
▷ prior /ˈpraɪəʳ/ [adjective only before noun] formal
taking place before something else happens or before someone is allowed to do something :
▪ The airline says that some flights may be cancelled without prior warning.
▪ The phone company is required to give you prior notice before disconnecting your service.
▪ The tenant must get the prior consent of the landlord before doing any redecorating in the flat.
2. before a particular time or date
▷ before /bɪˈfɔːʳ/ [preposition]
▪ Call me back before 5.30.
▪ You should go, before John gets back.
just before
▪ Our daughter was born just before Christmas.
▷ by /baɪ/ [preposition]
by 6 o'clock/Friday/next winter etc
at some time before 6 o'clock, Friday etc, and certainly not later than this :
▪ I’ll be home by 6.30, I promise.
▪ By 9.00, most of the guests had arrived.
▪ Please try to have this done by Friday.
▷ no later than also by something at the latest /nəʊ ˈleɪtəʳ ð ə n, baɪ something ət ðə ˈleɪtə̇st/ [preposition]
before or at a particular time but definitely not after it - used especially to tell someone the time by which they must have done something :
▪ I want your essays back no later than Wednesday, nine o'clock.
▪ Jenny should be back by Monday at the latest.
▪ Entry forms for the competition should arrive no later than Friday, November 1st.
▪ The dinner party will be over by ten-thirty at the very latest.
3. before now
▷ before /bɪˈfɔːʳ/ [adverb]
before now or before the time you are talking about :
▪ I had never seen such an ugly baby before.
▪ Wendell had never been on a plane before.
the day/week/year etc before
▪ Sheila and I became friends in 1995, although we had actually met several years before.
▷ ago /əˈgəʊ/ [adverb]
five minutes/two weeks/20 years etc ago
five minutes, two weeks, twenty years etc before now :
▪ George went out half an hour ago. Can I have him call you back?
▪ Lucy’s aunt died a few months ago.
a long time ago
▪ ‘When did you live in Germany?’ ‘Oh, it was a long time ago.’
ages ago
spoken a very long time ago
▪ Pauline wrote to me once, but that was ages ago.
▷ earlier /ˈɜːʳliəʳ/ [adverb]
at some time, date, year etc before now or before the time you are talking about :
▪ Didn’t I give you the key earlier?
earlier in the day/year etc
▪ I saw Barbara earlier in the day - she looked pretty upset.
20 years earlier/10 minutes earlier/moments earlier etc
▪ Three years earlier, Miller had been happily married, with a good job.
▷ previously /ˈpriːviəsli/ [adverb]
before a time or event in the past :
▪ Hastings previously worked for a software company in Richmond.
▪ The bombing is being blamed on a previously unknown group of terrorists.
two days/three weeks/six months etc previously
▪ She had met Atwood at a conference a few weeks previously.
▷ formerly /ˈfɔːʳməʳli/ [adverb] formal
during a period in the past but not now :
▪ Milligan, 43, was formerly a deputy foreign minister.
▪ Peru was formerly ruled by the Spanish.
▪ Watkins was formerly editor of the Express, a local weekly newspaper.
4. someone or something that existed before or that you had before
▷ previous /ˈpriːviəs/ [adjective only before noun]
the previous person or thing is the one that existed just before now or before the time you are talking about :
▪ The car’s previous owner didn’t take very good care of it.
▪ Please ignore my previous instructions.
▷ last /lɑːstǁlæst/ [adjective only before noun]
the last thing or person is the one that you had just before now, or the one that existed just before now :
▪ The last apartment we lived in was much smaller than this one.
▪ Beth broke up with her last boyfriend because he drank too much.
▷ ex- /eks/ [prefix]
ex-wife/ex-boyfriend/ex-soldier etc
someone who used to be someone’s wife, used to be a soldier etc, but is not any more :
▪ Her dad’s an ex-policeman.
▪ Lydia is still friends with her ex-husband.
▷ old /əʊld/ [adjective only before noun]
somebody’s old job/car/girlfriend/boss etc
the job, car etc that someone had before the one they have now :
▪ The new stadium is much bigger than the old one.
▪ I saw Phil with one of my old girlfriends.
▪ We all liked the old teacher better.
▷ the one before /ðə ˌwʌn bɪˈfɔːʳ/ [pronoun]
the person or thing that existed before the one you have just mentioned :
▪ I didn’t enjoy Spielberg’s last film but I thought the one before was all right.
▪ Each year, the convention is a little larger than the one before.
▷ former /ˈfɔːʳməʳ/ [adjective only before noun] formal
use this especially to talk about someone who used to have a particular job or position but does not any more :
▪ Her former husband now lives in Houston.
▪ Weinberger was an advisor to former president Ronald Reagan.
▷ predecessor /ˈpriːdɪsesəʳ, ˈpriːdəsesəʳǁˈpre-/ [countable noun] formal
someone’s predecessor is the person who had the same job before them :
▪ Vandenberg has been a more active director than his predecessor.
▪ Sally’s predecessor had warned her about Nick, one of the company vice-presidents.
▷ precursor /prɪˈkɜːʳsəʳ/ [countable noun] formal
someone whose ideas or style are later used by another more famous person, or an organization, movement or machine that later develops into one that is more important :
precursor of/to
▪ The abacus was the precursor of the modern electronic calculator.
▪ The Office of Strategic Services was the precursor of the CIA.
▷ forerunner /ˈfɔːˌrʌnəʳ/ [countable noun]
the first person, organization, machine etc that existed before the one that exists now and that the one that exists now is based on :
forerunner of
▪ The P-50 is a forerunner of today’s supersonic jet.
▪ Hansen played in the American Basketball League, a forerunner of the NBA.
5. before someone or something else in a list, line, series etc
▷ before /bɪˈfɔːʳ/ [preposition]
before something or someone else in a list, series, or set :
▪ I think you were before me in line, weren’t you?
▪ Islington station is one stop before Finsbury Park on the Victoria Line.
▷ come before/precede /ˌkʌm bɪˈfɔːʳ, prɪˈsiːd/ [verb phrase/transitive verb]
to happen or exist before something or someone else :
▪ Churchill was a much stronger leader than the man who came before him.
▪ A planning session at eleven-thirty will precede the noon lunch discussion.
be preceded by something
▪ Witnesses say the fire was preceded by a loud explosion.
▪ In most cases the illness is preceded by vomiting and chills.
▷ in front of/ahead of /ɪn ˈfrʌnt ɒv, əˈhed ɒv/ [preposition]
before another person in a group of people who are waiting to do something :
▪ The man in front of me looked very familiar.
▪ There were about fifty people ahead of us waiting for tickets.
▷ previous /ˈpriːviəs/ [adjective only before noun]
coming before the one that you are dealing with now :
▪ The previous chapter examined how children learn language.
▪ Each number in the series 2 - 4 - 8 - 16 is twice as large as the previous number.
▷ earlier /ˈɜːʳliəʳ/ [adjective only before noun]
coming at some time before the one you have just mentioned - use this especially about something that is very different from what is happening now :
▪ He used a lot more color in his earlier paintings.
▪ The play lacks the wit and energy of Jergen’s earlier work.
▷ the one before /ðə ˌwʌn bɪˈfɔːʳ/ [pronoun]
the thing that comes before another in a series :
▪ When you’re in prison, every day feels just like the one before.
▷ preceding /prɪˈsiːdɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun] formal
coming before the thing you have just mentioned, or the part of a book where you are now :
▪ The preceding chapters have described several key events in recent French history.
▪ In the preceding section of the poem, Whitman is talking about how important it is to live in the present.
▷ above /əˈbʌv/ [adjective only before noun] written
use this to talk about a person or thing that was mentioned earlier :
▪ Write to the above address for more information.
▪ The above diagram shows a diesel car engine.
the above
[singular noun] the people or things mentioned earlier
▪ Contact any of the above for more details.
above [adverb]
▪ None of the organizations mentioned above answered our inquiries.
6. a time, day, month etc that comes before another one
▷ previous /ˈpriːviəs/ [adjective only before noun]
▪ The company recorded a 50% increase in profits over the previous year.
▪ Kirsty’s baby had been born the previous October, while she was still in England.
▷ yesterday morning/afternoon/evening etc /ˌjestəʳdi ˈmɔːʳnɪŋ/ [adverb]
the morning, afternoon, or evening of the day before today :
▪ My sister and I went shopping yesterday lunchtime.
▪ We met yesterday morning to discuss plans for the conference.
▷ last week/year/Monday etc /ˌlɑːst ˈwiːkǁˌlæst-/ [adjective only before noun]
the week, year etc before this one :
▪ I spoke to Neil and Sandra last weekend.
▪ We still haven’t paid last month’s rent.
▷ the day/week/month/year before /ðə ˌdeɪ, ˌwiːk, ˌmʌnθ, ˌjɪəʳ bɪˈfɔːʳ/ [adverb/preposition]
the day, week, month, year before the one in the past that you have just mentioned :
▪ The day before the exam, I felt worried and unprepared.
▪ Last week she was in Paris, and the week before she was in Rome.
▷ preceding /prɪˈsiːdɪŋ/ [adjective only before noun] formal
the preceding months, years etc are the ones just before the time in the past that you are talking about :
▪ The company made more profit in that one month than it made in the whole of the preceding year.
▪ He had been arrested at least fifteen times in the preceding five years.
7. to happen or exist before someone or something else
▷ come before /ˌkʌm bɪˈfɔːʳ/ [verb phrase not in progressive or passive]
▪ The paragraph says basically the same thing as the one that came before.
come before something
▪ The salad usually comes before the main course.
▪ In the Greek alphabet, the letter delta comes before the letter epsilon.
▷ precede /prɪˈsiːd/ [transitive verb] formal
to come just before something else in a pattern or series :
▪ In English, the subject precedes the verb.
▪ On vehicle licence plates in the UK, the numbers are preceded by a single letter.
▷ predate /priːˈdeɪt/ [transitive verb]
if one historical event or object predates another, it happened or existed before it :
▪ Many economic systems predate capitalism.
predate something by 10/50/200 etc years
▪ The steam engine predates the internal combustion engine by at least 100 years.
▷ lead up to /ˌliːd ˈʌp tuː/ [transitive phrasal verb not in passive]
if an event leads up to another event, it comes before it and often causes it to happen :
▪ Monroe still refuses to talk about the events which led up to his resignation.
▪ The book describes some of the events leading up to the First World War.
▷ come first /ˌkʌm ˈfɜːʳst/ [verb phrase]
if one of two events comes first, it happens before the other event :
▪ The rains came first, then the storms.
▷ be a prelude to something /biː ə ˈpreljuːd tə something/ [verb phrase] formal or written
if an event is a prelude to a more important event, it happens just before it and often makes people expect it :
▪ The air-strike was just a prelude to the invasion.
▪ The revolution of 1789 was a prelude to a more just and equal society.
8. to do something before someone else does it
▷ do something first /ˌduː something ˈfɜːʳst/ [verb phrase]
if you do something, go somewhere, see something etc first, you do it before someone else :
▪ It’s mine - I saw it first.
▪ Who wants to go first?
▪ Sandy finished the puzzle first.
▷ be the first/be first /biː ðə ˈfɜːʳst, biː ˈfɜːʳst/ [verb phrase]
to be the first person to do a particular thing :
▪ Many people have copied her style, but she was definitely the first.
be the first/first to do something
▪ Of the four of us, my sister was the first to get married.
▷ beat somebody to it /ˌbiːt somebody ˈtuː ɪt/ [verb phrase] informal
to get or do something before another person who is trying to do the same thing :
▪ I was going to have that last piece of pie but somebody beat me to it.
▪ When Charlie finally got down there to buy the car, he discovered that someone else had beaten him to it.
▷ ahead of /əˈhed ɒv/ [preposition]
if you arrive somewhere or finish something ahead of someone, you arrive there or finish it before them :
▪ Carrie got to the pub ahead of us.
▪ Cole finished the race ahead of Jewison.
▷ be ahead of your time /biː əˌhed əv jɔːʳ ˈtaɪm/ [verb phrase]
if someone is ahead of their time they do something before other people do it, especially by having new ideas before anyone else :
▪ As an architect, Sir John Soan was ahead of his time.
way ahead of your time
▪ Ashton’s educational theories were way ahead of their time.