# before

/ˌbiˈfɔɹ/ (US) · /bɪfˈɔː/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/before
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. earlier than

preposition · CEFR A1

at an earlier time than something else.

For teachers: preceding a specific event, time, or action in a temporal sequence.

- Please remember to wash your hands before dinner.
- The contract must be signed and returned before the close of business on Friday to ensure the project remains on schedule.

### 2. in front of

preposition · CEFR B1

in front of someone or something.

For teachers: positioned in front of or in the presence of someone, often in a formal context.

- The witness had to stand before the judge and tell the truth.
- The defendant stood before the magistrate, waiting for the formal charges to be read aloud to the court.

### 3. earlier than the time when

conjunction · CEFR A1

earlier than the time when something happens.

For teachers: introducing a subordinate clause that describes an event occurring later than the main clause.

- He finished his homework before his friends arrived at the house.
- The researchers gathered all necessary samples before the storm made the coastal site inaccessible for the remainder of the week.

### 4. at an earlier time

adverb · CEFR A2

at a time in the past.

For teachers: at a time preceding the present or a specified point in the past.

- I think I have seen this movie before, but I don't remember the ending.
- Although the symptoms seemed familiar, the patient insisted she had never experienced such severe pain before the recent surgery.

### 5. the previous state

noun · CEFR B1

the 'start' picture in a pair that shows a change.

For teachers: the initial state or image in a comparison, typically paired with 'after' to show the results of a process.

- The 'before' photo shows how messy the garden was before we cleaned it.
- The marketing campaign relied heavily on 'before' and 'after' shots to demonstrate the dramatic efficacy of the new skin treatment.

## Examples

- I have seen this movie before.
- The manager mentioned that she had worked in the retail industry many years before.
- Although the technology seems revolutionary, similar concepts were explored in academic papers decades before, though they lacked the hardware to succeed.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.