before

preposition, conjunction, adverb preposition 1 earlier than sb/sth: before lunch * the day before yesterday * The year before last he won a gold medal, and the year before that he won a silver. * She's lived there since before the war. * He arrived before me. * She became a lawyer as her father had before her. * Leave your keys at reception before departure. * Something ought to have been done before now. * We'll know before long (= soon). * Turn left just before (= before you reach) the bank. 2 (rather formal) used to say that sb/sth is in a position in front of sb/sth: They knelt before the throne. * Before you is a list of the points we have to discuss. compareBEHIND 3 used to say that sb/sth is ahead of sb/sth in an order or arrangement: Your name is before mine on the list. * He puts his work before everything (= regards it as more important than anything else). 4 used to say that sth is facing sb in the future: The task before us is a daunting one. * The whole summer lay before me. 5 in the presence of sb who is listening, watching, etc: He was brought before the judge. * She said it before witnesses. * They had the advantage of playing before their home crowd. 6 (formal) used to say how sb reacts when they have to face sb/sth: They retreated before the enemy. conjunction 1 earlier than the time when: Do it before you forget. * Did she leave a message before she went? * Before I made a decision, I thought carefully about it. 2 until: It may be many years before the situation improves. * It was some time before I realized the truth. 3 used to warn or threaten sb that sth bad could happen: Put that away before it gets broken. 4 (formal) rather than: I'd die before I apologized to them! adverb at an earlier time; in the past; already: You should have told me so before. * It had been fine the week before (= the previous week). * That had happened long before (= a long time earlier). * I think we've met before.