Meanings
alternative archaic before-hand
- not comparableAt an earlier or preceding time.
Weeks beforehand, I had bought the tickets for the concert.
3 more examples
Will it be possible to have access to the room beforehand so that we can set up chairs?
I love playing tennis but I always get so nervous beforehand.
Prosecutors also said Wednesday their side “does not intend to reference allegations that the defendant violated FARA or improperly coordinated with the Obama Administration,” referring to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, which requires people who lobby on behalf of foreign clients to register beforehand with the US government.
2024 August 7, Marshall Cohen, “Prosecutors claim Hunter Biden once agreed to lobby US on behalf of Romanian businessman”, in CNNSynonyms: in advance, upfront, prehand · Antonyms: afterwards, afterhand
comparative more beforehand · superlative most beforehand · alternative archaic before-hand
- obsoleteIn comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded.
rich and much beforehand
1626, Francis Bacon, New Atlantis - archaicoftenIn a state of anticipation or preoccupation.
The last cited author has been beforehand with me.
1716 April 16 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 31. Thursday, April 6. [1716.]”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; […], volume IV, London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], published 1721, →OCLC2 more examples
Agricola […] resolves to be beforehand with the danger.
1670, John Milton, “(please specify the page)”, in The History of Britain, that Part Especially now Call’d England. […], London: […] J[ohn] M[acock] for James Allestry, […] , →OCLC[…] the medical attendant ought to be rather beforehand with the symptoms of excitement, and to diminish the large quantity of wine before they appear.
1839, London Medical Gazette: Or, Journal of Practical Medicine
Synonyms & antonyms
More synonyms by meaning
adverbahead of time; in anticipation
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishbiforhand
- Englishbeforehand
From Middle English biforhand, biforhond, beforehonde, bifornhand, equivalent to before + hand. [13th century. After Old French avant main].
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans vooraf
- voorafat an earlier time
Bulgarian преди
- преди (predi)at an earlier time
Catalan de bestreta
- de bestretaat an earlier time
Chinese Mandarin 提前, 事先
- 提前 (tíqián)at an earlier time
- 事先 (shìxiān)at an earlier time
- 先行 (xiānxíng)at an earlier time
- 預先 /预先 (yùxiān)at an earlier time
- 頭裡 /头里 (tóuli)at an earlier time
Czech předem
- předemat an earlier time
Danish på forhånd, i forvejen
- på forhåndat an earlier time
- i forvejenat an earlier time
Dutch vooraf, op voorhand
- voorafat an earlier time
- op voorhandat an earlier time
- van tevorenat an earlier time
- bij voorbaatat an earlier time
Esperanto antaŭe
- antaŭeat an earlier time
Finnish etukäteen
- etukäteenat an earlier time
French préalablement, auparavant
- préalablementat an earlier time
- auparavantat an earlier time
- au préalableat an earlier time
- à l'avanceat an earlier time
German vorher, zuvor
- vorherat an earlier time
- zuvorat an earlier time
- davorat an earlier time
- im Vorausat an earlier time
Greek εκ των προτέρων, προηγουμένως
- εκ των προτέρων (ek ton protéron)at an earlier time
- προηγουμένως (proïgouménos)at an earlier time
- πρωτύτερα (protýtera)at an earlier time
- από πριν (apó prin)at an earlier time
- προκαταβολικά (prokatavoliká)at an earlier time
Hebrew מבעוד מועד, מראש
- מבעוד מועד (mi'beod mo'ed)at an earlier time
- מראשat an earlier time
Hungarian előzetesen, előre
- előzetesenat an earlier time
- előreat an earlier time
Irish roimh ré
- roimh réat an earlier time
Italian anticipatamente, precedentemente
- anticipatamenteat an earlier time
- precedentementeat an earlier time
- in anticipoat an earlier time
Japanese 予め
- 予め (arakajime)at an earlier time
Korean 미리
- 미리 (miri)at an earlier time
Latin antea
- anteaat an earlier time
Norwegian i forkant
- i forkantat an earlier time
Norwegian Bokmål på forhånd, i forveien
- på forhåndat an earlier time
- i forveienat an earlier time
- i forvegenat an earlier time
Polish uprzednio, wcześniej
- uprzednioat an earlier time
- wcześniejat an earlier time
- zawczasuat an earlier time
- z góryat an earlier time
Portuguese de antemão, com antecedência
- de antemãoat an earlier time
- com antecedênciaat an earlier time
- antesat an earlier time
- previamenteat an earlier time
- antecipadamenteat an earlier time
- adiantadoat an earlier time
Romanian în prealabil, mai devreme
- în prealabilat an earlier time
- mai devremeat an earlier time
- în avansat an earlier time
Russian зара́нее, заблаговре́менно
- зара́нее (zaráneje)at an earlier time
- заблаговре́менно (zablagovrémenno)at an earlier time
- вперёд (vperjód)at an earlier time
- наперёд (naperjód)at an earlier time
- преждевре́менно (preždevrémenno)at an earlier time
- за́годя (zágodja)at an earlier time
Scottish Gaelic ro làimh
- ro làimhat an earlier time
Slovak vopred
- vopredat an earlier time
Spanish de antemano, anticipadamente
- de antemanoat an earlier time
- anticipadamenteat an earlier time
- adelantadamenteat an earlier time
- con anterioridad/antelaciónat an earlier time
- por adelantadoat an earlier time
- de “manera/forma antelada”/“modo antelado”at an earlier time
Swedish på förhand, i förväg
- på förhandat an earlier time
- i förvägat an earlier time
Turkish öncesinde, önceden
- öncesindeat an earlier time
- öncedenat an earlier time
Ukrainian заздалегі́дь, напере́д
- заздалегі́дь (zazdalehídʹ)at an earlier time
- напере́д (naperéd)at an earlier time
Cite this entry
beforehand. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beforehand
“beforehand.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beforehand. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “beforehand,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/beforehand.
Source: beforehand on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.