English Reference

Word

until

Phoneticsun·til, stress on the second syllable

US/ənˈtɪɫ/

UK/ʌntˈɪl/

Definitions

01up to a time

A1 · Beginner

prep. up to a specific time or event.

prep. indicating the end point of a continuous period or state.

“We played outside until it got dark and our parents called us in.”

“The shop will remain closed for renovations until next Monday, at which point regular business hours will resume.”

Synonyms

tillup to

Antonyms

fromsince

02up to the time that

A1 · Beginner

conj. up to the moment that something happens.

conj. introducing a subordinate clause that functions as a temporal boundary for the main clause.

“Please stay in your seats until the plane has come to a complete stop.”

“The researchers continued to monitor the chemical reaction until the solution reached a stable temperature and changed colour.”

Synonyms

till

03not before

B1 · Intermediate

prep. used with 'not' to mean that something happens at a specific time and no earlier.

prep. used in negative constructions to indicate that an event does not occur before a specific time.

“The results of the test won't be ready until tomorrow morning.”

“The board of directors decided that the official announcement would not be released until all shareholders had been personally notified.”

Synonyms

before

Usage

Often shortened to 'till' in informal speech; 'until' is preferred in formal writing and at the start of a sentence.

Pitfall

I will stay here until you will come

I will stay here until you come

In clauses referring to the future after 'until', use the present simple tense rather than 'will'.

Confusables

until vs by

Until marks the duration of a continuous state, while by marks a deadline for a single event.

RememberUntil = How long. By = When it's due.

Etymology

From Middle English vntil, until, untill, ontil, ontill, perhaps representing a northern variant of Middle English unto (see Modern English unto). By surface analysis, un- (“against; toward; up to”) + till.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry

Exam level
CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
Frequency
Very common
Level
A1 · BeginnerOxford
Updated

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English Reference