beforehand

[ bih-fawr-hand, -fohr- ]
See synonyms for beforehand on Thesaurus.com
adverb, adjective
  1. in anticipation; in advance; ahead of time: We should have made reservations beforehand. I hope to be beforehand with my report.

Origin of beforehand

1
First recorded in 1175–1225, beforehand is from the Middle English word bifor-hand.See before, hand

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for beforehand

beforehand

/ (bɪˈfɔːˌhænd) /


adjective, adverb(postpositive)
  1. early; in advance; in anticipation: she came an hour beforehand

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012