| 1. | previous to; earlier or sooner than: Phone me before noon. |
| 2. | in front of; ahead of; in advance of: his shadow advancing before him; She stood before the window. |
| 3. | ahead of; in the future of; awaiting: The golden age is before us. |
| 4. | in preference to; rather than: They would die before surrendering. |
| 5. | in precedence of, as in order or rank: We put freedom before wealth. |
| 6. | in the presence or sight of: to appear before an audience. |
| 7. | less than; until: used in indicating the exact time: It's ten before three. |
| 8. | under the jurisdiction or consideration of: He was summoned before a magistrate. |
| 9. | confronted by; in the face of: Before such wild accusations, he was too stunned to reply. |
| 10. | in the regard of: a crime before God and humanity. |
| 11. | under the overwhelming influence of: bending before the storm. |
| 12. | without figuring or deducting: income before deductions. |
| 13. | in front; in advance; ahead: The king entered with macebearers walking before. |
| 14. | in time preceding; previously: If we'd known before, we'd have let you know. |
| 15. | earlier or sooner: Begin at noon, not before. |
| 16. | previous to the time when: Send the telegram before we go. |
| 17. | sooner than; rather than: I will die before I submit. |
before
In addition to the idioms beginning with before, also see cart before the horse; cast pearls before swine; look before you leap.