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beforehand. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
beforehand, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
beforehand in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
beforehand you have here. The definition of the word
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beforehand, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
From Middle English biforhand, biforhond, beforehonde, bifornhand, equivalent to before + hand. .
Pronunciation
Adverb
beforehand (not comparable)
- At an earlier or preceding time.
- Synonyms: in advance, upfront, (nonstandard) prehand
- Antonyms: afterwards, (archaic) afterhand
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.
Weeks beforehand, I had bought the tickets for the concert.
Translations
at an earlier time
- Azerbaijani: qabaqcadan (az), öncədən
- Belarusian: за́гадзя (záhadzja)
- Bulgarian: преди (bg) (predi)
- Catalan: de bestreta (ca)
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 提前 (zh) (tíqián), 事先 (zh) (shìxiān), 先行 (zh) (xiānxíng), 預先／预先 (zh) (yùxiān), 頭裡／头里 (zh) (tóuli)
- Czech: předem (cs)
- Danish: på forhånd, i forvejen (da)
- Dutch: vooraf (nl), op voorhand, van tevoren (nl), bij voorbaat
- Esperanto: antaŭe
- Finnish: etukäteen (fi)
- French: préalablement (fr), auparavant (fr), au préalable (fr), à l’avance (fr)
- Georgian: წინასწარ (c̣inasc̣ar), წინდაწინ (c̣indac̣in)
- German: vorher (de), zuvor (de), davor (de), im Voraus (de)
- Greek: εκ των προτέρων (el) (ek ton protéron), προηγουμένως (el) (proïgouménos), πρωτύτερα (el) (protýtera), από πριν (apó prin), προκαταβολικά (el) (prokatavoliká)
- Hebrew: מבעוד מועד (mi'beod mo'ed), מראש (he)
- Hungarian: előzetesen (hu), előre (hu)
- Ingrian: etukättee
- Irish: roimh ré
- Italian: anticipatamente (it), precedentemente (it), in anticipo (it)
- Japanese: 予め (ja) (あらかじめ, arakajime)
- Kazakh: алдын ала (aldyn ala)
- Korean: 미리 (ko) (miri)
- Latin: antea (la)
- Norwegian: i forkant
- Bokmål: på forhånd, i forveien, i forvegen
- Plautdietsch: verut
- Polish: uprzednio (pl), wcześniej (pl), zawczasu (pl), z góry (pl)
- Portuguese: de antemão (pt), com antecedência, antes (pt), previamente (pt), antecipadamente (pt), adiantado (pt)
- Romanian: în prealabil, mai devreme, în avans
- Russian: зара́нее (ru) (zaráneje), заблаговре́менно (ru) (zablagovrémenno), вперёд (ru) (vperjód), наперёд (ru) (naperjód) (colloquial), преждевре́менно (ru) (preždevrémenno) (untimely), за́годя (ru) (zágodja) (colloquial)
- Scottish Gaelic: ro làimh
- Slovak: vopred
- Spanish: de antemano (es), anticipadamente (es), adelantadamente (es), antes (es), con anterioridad, por adelantado
- Swedish: på förhand (sv), i förväg (sv)
- Turkish: öncesinde, önceden (tr)
- Ukrainian: заздалегі́дь (zazdalehídʹ), напере́д (naperéd)
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Adjective
beforehand (comparative more beforehand, superlative most beforehand)
- (obsolete) In comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded.
- (archaic, often followed by with) In a state of anticipation or preoccupation.
1716 April 17 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 31. Friday, April 6. ”, in The Works of the Right Honourable Joseph Addison, Esq; , volume IV, London: Jacob Tonson, , published 1721, →OCLC:The last cited author has been beforehand with me.
1839, London Medical Gazette: Or, Journal of Practical Medicine:[…] the medical attendant ought to be rather beforehand with the symptoms of excitement, and to diminish the large quantity of wine before they appear.
Derived terms