ahead
Americanadverb
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in or to the front; in advance of; before.
Walk ahead of us.
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in a forward direction; onward; forward.
The line of cars moved ahead slowly.
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into or for the future.
Plan ahead.
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so as to register a later time.
to set the clock ahead.
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at or to a different time, either earlier or later.
to push a deadline ahead one day from Tuesday to Monday; to push a deadline ahead one day from Tuesday to Wednesday.
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onward toward success; to a more advantageous position; upward in station.
There's a young man who is sure to get ahead.
idioms
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ahead of,
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in front of; before.
He ran ahead of me.
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superior to; beyond.
materially ahead of other countries.
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in advance of; at an earlier time than.
We got there ahead of the other guests.
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be ahead,
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to be winning.
Our team is ahead by two runs.
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to be in a position of advantage; be benefiting.
His score in mathematics is poor, but he's ahead in foreign languages.
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adjective
adverb
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at or in the front; in advance; before
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onwards; forwards
go straight ahead
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in front of; at a further advanced position than
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stock exchange in anticipation of
the share price rose ahead of the annual figures
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informal to have an advantage; be winning
to be ahead on points
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to advance or attain success
Etymology
Origin of ahead
Explanation
When you're ahead, you're further along or further forward. If you're ahead of all the other runners in a race, you're winning. The team at the very front of a three-legged race is ahead, and the path that stretches in front of you as you walk through the woods is ahead of you. As well as signifying being physically first or in front, ahead can be used to talk about time: "She had her whole life ahead of her." The word was first used by sailors, to mean "in a forward direction."
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.
"I can confidently say now is the time for peace," said Nkea in an address to the Pope at the cathedral in Bamenda ahead of the Mass which will be held at the city's airport.
From BBC • Apr. 16, 2026
The American Farm Bureau Federation says only 19% of farmers in the southern states—ranging from Virginia to Texas—prebooked their fertilizer needs ahead of this planting season, versus 67% in the Midwestern region.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 16, 2026
The research also looks ahead to how this process could evolve in a warming world.
From Science Daily • Apr. 16, 2026
Utah’s will take effect May 6, ahead of its June 23 primaries, while South Dakota’s will take effect immediately before its June 2 primaries.
From Salon • Apr. 16, 2026
“Me too. I’ll see you soon at the fashion parade. Or at the fitting. I suppose there’ll be one ahead of the show.”
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
