beforehand

See also: before-hand

English

Alternative forms

• before-hand (archaic)

Etymology

From Middle English biforhand, biforhond, beforehonde, bifornhand, equivalent to before +‎ hand. [13th century. After Old French avant main].

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfɔːhænd/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfɔɹhænd/
• (rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfo(ː)ɹhænd/
• (non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger) IPA^(key): /bɪˈfoəhænd/
• Hyphenation: be‧fore‧hand

• Audio (US)

  (file)

Adverb

beforehand (not comparable)

1. 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)

Adjective

beforehand (comparative more beforehand, superlative most beforehand)

1. (obsolete) In comfortable circumstances as regards property; forehanded.
   • 1626, Francis Bacon, New Atlantis:

     rich and much beforehand

2. (archaic, often followed by with) In a state of anticipation or preoccupation.
   • 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:

     Agricola […] resolves to be beforehand with the danger.

   • 1716 April 17 (Gregorian calendar), Joseph Addison, “The Free-holder: No. 31. Friday, April 6. [1716.]”, 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

• beforehand in the world, beforehand with the world