beforehand
Americanadverb
adjective
Etymology
Origin of beforehand
First recorded in 1175–1225, beforehand is from the Middle English word bifor-hand. See before, hand
Vocabulary lists containing beforehand
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.
Shortly beforehand, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt reportedly told Fox News that the prospect of in-person talks had been discussed.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 7, 2026
People who placed the flurry of futures trades beforehand likely pocketed tens of millions of dollars, according to calculations by a market operator for AFP.
From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026
For Spider-Man fan Bella Prichard, the trailer release, and process of piecing parts of it together beforehand, was "one of the coolest activations possible."
From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026
Lenders said they wanted Wiederhorn out as CEO as the company restructures because he failed to secure the bankruptcy judge’s required approval beforehand.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026
When I asked why they couldn’t stop by beforehand, there was a long silence, and then she said, “Melba, the truth is we’re all afraid to come to your house.”
From "Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High" by Melba Pattillo Beals
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.
