Meanings
- Up to the time of (something happening); pending.
If you can wait until after my meeting with her, we'll talk then.
1 more example
Seeing the British establishment struggle with the financial sector is like watching an alcoholic […]. Until 2008 there was denial over what finance had become. When a series of bank failures made this impossible, there was widespread anger, leading to the public humiliation of symbolic figures.
2013 June 28, Joris Luyendijk, “Our banks are out of control”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 3, page 21 - Up to (a certain place)
Keep walking until the second set of traffic lights, then turn left.
- Before (a time).
I was about to say that I had known the Celebrity from the time he wore kilts. But I see I will have to amend that, because he was not a celebrity then, nor, indeed, did he achieve fame until some time after I left New York for the West.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter I, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC1 more example
Across Japan, technology companies and private investors are racing to install devices that until recently they had little interest in: solar panels. Massive solar parks are popping up as part of a rapid build-up that one developer likened to an "explosion."
2013 June 21, Chico Harlan, “Japan pockets the subsidy …”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 30 - obsoleteTo; physically towards.
He rousd himselfe full blith, and hastned them untill.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto XI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 4 - Up to the time that the foods or other things available to sell, or tasks which need to be completed, run out.
Bake sale on Saturday, 2pm until.
3 more examples
A celebration of his life will also be held at Pete's Tavern 16705 Florida Blvd on Saturday, March 3, 2018 from 2pm until and at TJ's Lounge 11585 Plank Road on Sunday, March 4, 2018 from 2pm until. He is survived by his children, […]
2018, Wilbert Funeral Home, Obituary for Peter James Smith (1937-2018)Every Friday 2pm-until and Saturday 5pm-until[;] we are located inside the dollar general parking lot
2020 August 5, Boutte BBQ (boutte_bbq), post on InstagramOpen Monday to Saturday 4pm – Until and Sunday 12pm - Until. We are conveniently located at: […]
2025 July 20, Gauchos Brazilian Steakhouse (gauchosbraziliansteakhouseusa), post on Instagram
- Up to the time that (a condition becomes true).
It took us a week before/until we got the house repainted.
3 more examples
Not until I got his email did I fully understand his disappointment.
It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street.[…]. He halted opposite the Privy Gardens, and, with his face turned skywards, listened until the sound of the Tower guns smote again on the ear and dispelled his doubts.
1906, Stanley J[ohn] Weyman, chapter I, in Chippinge Borough, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., →OCLC, page 01Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. Charging school fees is illegal, and so is sorting pupils into ability groups by streaming or setting.
2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30Synonyms: till
- Before (a condition becoming true).
It is never possible to settle down to the ordinary routine of life at sea until the screw begins to revolve. There is an hour or two, after the passengers have embarked, which is disquieting and fussy.
1915, G[eorge] A. Birmingham [pseudonym; James Owen Hannay], chapter I, in Gossamer, New York, N.Y.: George H. Doran Company, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
conjunctionUp to the time that (a condition becomes true).
Origin
- Middle Englishvntil
- Englishuntil
From Middle English vntil, until, untill, ontil, ontill, perhaps representing a northern variant of Middle English unto (see Modern English unto). By surface analysis, un- (“against; toward; up to”) + till.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans totdat, tot
- totdatup to the time of
- totup to the time of
Ancient Greek ἕως, μέχρι
- ἕως (héōs)up to the time of
- μέχρι (mékhri)up to the time of
- μέσφα (méspha)up to the time of
- ἄχρι (ákhri)up to the time of
- μέχρι (mékhri)up to the time that
- ἕως (héōs)up to the time that
Arabic حَتَّى, حَتَّى
- حَتَّى (ḥattā)before
- حَتَّى (ḥattā)up to the time of
- حَتَّى (ḥattā)up to the time that
- إِلَى أَنْ (ʔilā ʔan)up to the time that
- حَتَّى (ḥattā)before
Basque arte
- arteup to the time of
Bengali অবধি, পর্যন্ত
- অবধি (obodhi)up to the time of
- পর্যন্ত (porjonto)up to the time of
Bulgarian до, докато
- до (do)up to the time of
- докато (dokato)up to the time that
- докато (dokato)before
Catalan fins
- finsup to the time of
Chinese Cantonese 喺……之前, 到
- 喺……之前 (hai²...zi¹ cin⁴)before
- 到 (dou³)up to the time of
- 至 (zi³)up to the time of
- 到 (dou³)up to the time that
- 至 (zi³)up to the time that
- 喺……之前 (hai²...zi¹ cin⁴)before
Chinese Mandarin 在……之前, 直到
- 在……之前 (zài...zhīqián)before
- 直到 (zhídào)up to the time of
- 直至 (zhízhì)up to the time of
- 至 (zhì)up to the time of
- 直到 (zhídào)up to the time that
- 直至 (zhízhì)up to the time that
- 至 (zhì)up to the time that
Czech do, dokud
- doup to the time of
- dokudup to the time that
Danish indtil
- indtilup to the time of
Dutch totdat, tot
- totdatup to the time of
- totup to the time of
- totdatup to the time that
Esperanto ĝis
- ĝisup to the time of
Estonian kuni, kuni
- kuniup to the time of
- kuniup to the time that
Finnish ennen, saakka
- ennenbefore
- saakkaup to the time of
- astiup to the time of
- kunnesup to the time of
- kunnesup to the time that
- ennen kuinbefore
French avant, jusque
- avantbefore
- jusqueup to the time of
- jusqu'àup to the time of
- jusqu'à ce queup to the time that
- jusqu'au moment oùup to the time that
- avant quebefore
German bis, bis zu
- bisup to the time of
- bis zuup to the time of
- bis anup to the time of
- bisup to the time that
Greek πριν, μέχρι
- πριν (prin)before
- μέχρι (méchri)up to the time of
- ως (os)up to the time of
- ώσπου (óspou)up to the time that
- ωσότου (osótou)up to the time that
Hebrew לפני, עַד
- לפני (lifné)before
- עַד (ad)up to the time of
- עד (ád)up to the time that
- לפני (lifné)before
Hindi तक, पर्यंत
- तक (tak)before
- पर्यंत (paryant)before
- ... तक (... tak)up to the time of
- पर्यंत (paryant)up to the time of
- तक (tak)up to the time that
- तलक (talak)up to the time that
- पर्यंत (paryant)up to the time that
Hungarian előtt, -ig
- előttbefore
- -igup to the time of
- amíg…nemup to the time that
- ameddig…nemup to the time that
- mielőttbefore
- azelőtt, hogybefore
Icelandic þangað til, fyrr en
- þangað tilup to the time of
- fyrr enup to the time of
- unsup to the time of
- þar tilup to the time of
Irish go dtí, go dtí go
- go dtíup to the time of
- go dtí goup to the time that
Italian finché, fino a quando
- finchéup to the time of
- fino a quandoup to the time of
- fino aup to the time of
Japanese まで, まで
- まで (made)before
- まで (made)up to the time of
- ...までup to the time that
- ...までbefore
Korean -까지
- -까지 (-kkaji)up to the time of
Latin usque ad, donec
- usque adup to the time of
- donecup to the time that
Latvian līdz
- līdzup to the time of
Lithuanian kol, iki
- kolup to the time of
- ikiup to the time of
Malay sehingga
- sehinggaup to the time of
Māori āpānoa, rā anō
- āpānoaup to the time of
- rā anōup to the time of
- rānōup to the time of
- tae noa kiup to the time of
Norwegian Bokmål inntil
- inntilup to the time that
Persian تا
- تا (tâ)up to the time of
Polish do, aż do
- doup to the time of
- aż doup to the time of
- ażup to the time that
- dopóki niebefore
Portuguese até que, até
- até quebefore
- atéup to the time of
- até queup to the time of
- atéup to the time that
Punjabi ਤੱਕ, ਜਦ ਤੱਕ
- ਤੱਕ (takka)up to the time of
- ਜਦ ਤੱਕ (jad takka)up to the time that
Romanian până nu, până
- până nubefore
- pânăup to the time of
- până cândup to the time of
- până ceup to the time of
- pânăup to the time that
Russian до, не ра́ньше
- до (do)before
- не ра́ньше (ne ránʹše)before
- до (do)up to the time of
- пока́ не (poká ne)up to the time that
- до тех пор, пока́ не (do tex por, poká ne)up to the time that
Scottish Gaelic gu, gus
- guup to the time of
- gusup to the time of
Slovak do
- doup to the time of
Spanish antes, hasta
- antesbefore
- hastaup to the time of
- hastaup to the time that
- hasta queup to the time that
Swahili mpaka
- mpakaup to the time of
Swedish tills, tills
- tillsup to the time of
- tillsup to the time that
Turkish kadar, dek
- kadarup to the time of
- dekup to the time of
Ukrainian до, не раніше
- до (do)before
- не раніше (ne raniše)before
- до (do)up to the time of
- допо́ки (dopóky)up to the time that
- по́ки (póky)up to the time that
Urdu ... تک, جب تک
- ... تک (... tak)up to the time of
- جب تک (jab tak)up to the time of
- تَک (tak)up to the time that
- پَرْیَنْت (paryant)up to the time that
Vietnamese cho đến, đến
- cho đếnup to the time of
- đếnup to the time of
- cho tớiup to the time of
- tớiup to the time of
- cho đến khiup to the time that
- đến khiup to the time that
- cho đến lúcup to the time that
- đến lúcup to the time that
- cho tới khiup to the time that
- tới khiup to the time that
- tới lúcup to the time that
Welsh tan
- tanup to the time of
Yiddish ביז
- ביז (biz)up to the time of
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with until
Anagrams
Cite this entry
until. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/until
“until.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/until. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “until,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/until.
Source: until on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.