afore

adverb or conjunction or preposition

ə-ˈfȯr How to pronounce afore (audio)
Synonyms of aforenext
chiefly dialectal
: before
… "No, no! he said, I'll be back to 'em again by a short cut through the fields, and be there afore the carriage."—Anna Sewell

Synonyms of afore

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Examples of afore in a Sentence

some young boys raced afore to tell onlookers that the parade was about to kick off my father, his father, and even his father afore him farmed this land a majestic sailing ship going full speed afore the wind

Word History

Etymology

Middle English aforen, aforn, afore, going back to Old English onforan, from on on entry 1 + foran "(from) in front, before," from fore "in front, fore entry 2" + -an, -ane "from (a place)" (going back to Germanic *-na) — more at aft entry 1

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of afore was before the 12th century

Rhymes for afore

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Browse Nearby Words

a force to reckon with
afore
aforehand
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Cite this Entry

“Afore.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/afore. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

afore

adverb or conjunction or preposition
ə-ˈfō(ə)r How to pronounce afore (audio)
-ˈfȯ(ə)r
chiefly dialect
: before
Last Updated: - Definition revised
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