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Definitions

before

[bih-fawr, -fohr] / bɪˈfɔr, -ˈfoʊr /
ADVERB
earlier
Synonyms
STRONGEST
ahead back previously since sooner
WEAK
afore aforetime ante antecedently anteriorly before present ere fore former formerly forward heretofore in advance in days of yore in front in the old days in the past past precendently previous up to now
Antonyms
WEAK
after afterward behind later
PREPOSITION
earlier than
Synonyms
STRONGEST
since
WEAK
ahead of ante antecedent to anterior to ere in advance of in front of preceding previous to prior to
Antonyms
WEAK
after afterward behind later

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Spot can now carry out inspections around the company's warehouses, detecting things like equipment over-heating, gas leaks or spills, before feeding that information into the industrial AI software provider, IFS.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Cheng's trip to China comes a month before US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing for a summit with Xi.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

Xi's invitation to Cheng comes weeks before he is due to meet Trump, who is scheduled to call on Beijing on 14 and 15 May.

From BBC • Apr. 7, 2026

Previous genetic studies and fossil traces suggested that many animal lineages existed before the Cambrian explosion.

From Science Daily • Apr. 6, 2026

I pass the park that Mom always used to take us to, where I’ve been taking Mav to play fetch just about every day before and after school, flee through the shadows of the trees.

From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.