The word before comes from the Old English beforan, meaning โ€œin front ofโ€ or โ€œin former times.โ€ Before tells when something happens โ€” donโ€™t hire that guy before you check his references โ€” or the position of something: the library is the last building before the intersection.

Definition of BEFORE in the Definitions.net dictionary. Meaning of BEFORE. What does BEFORE mean? Information and translations of BEFORE in the most comprehensive dictionary definitions resource on the web.

Synonym: previously Antonym: after I've never done this before. This achievement far exceeded anything that had come before.

There are 38 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word before, four of which are labelled obsolete. See โ€˜Meaning & useโ€™ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

When one thing precedes another, it comes before. You put your socks on before your shoes, you close the door before you lock it, and you should make sure the store is open before you leave home.

Find 52 different ways to say BEFORE, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

So, which one is the one to use? The correct spelling is before. Beforโ€ is a common misspelling and is not recognized as a correct word in English. Before is used when referring to a time or event that happens earlier than another. For example, โ€œPlease finish your homework before dinner.โ€