Before vs Off - What's the difference?

before | off |

As prepositions the difference between before and off

is that before is earlier than (in time) while off is (used to indicate movement away from a position on).

As adverbs the difference between before and off

is that before is at an earlier time while off is in a direction away from the speaker or object.

As a conjunction before

is in advance of the time when.

As an adjective off is

inoperative, disabled.

As a verb off is

(slang) to kill.

before

English

Preposition

(English prepositions)

Earlier than (in time).

* (Jonathan Swift) (1667–1745)

Before this treatise can become of use, two points are necessary.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=We made an odd party before the arrival of the Ten, particularly when the Celebrity dropped in for lunch or dinner.}}

* {{quote-news, year=2011, date=November 11, author=Rory Houston, work=RTE Sport

, title= Estonia 0-4 Republic of Ireland , passage=Stephen Ward then had to time his tackle excellently to deny Tarmo Kink as the Wolves winger slid the ball out of play before the Estonian could attempt to beat Given.}}

In front of in space.

* (John Milton) (1608-1674)

His angel, who shall go / Before them in a cloud and pillar of fire.

He tried to persuade Cicely to stay away from the ball-room for a fourth dance.she found her mother standing up before the seat on which she had sat all the evening searching anxiously for her with her eyes, and her father by her side.

* {{quote-magazine, year=2013, month=September-October, author=(Henry Petroski)

, magazine=(American Scientist), title= The Evolution of Eyeglasses , passage=The ability of a segment of a glass sphere to magnify whatever is placed before it was known around the year 1000, when the spherical segment was called a reading stone, essentially what today we might term a frameless magnifying glass or plain glass paperweight.}}

Under consideration, judgment, authority of (someone).

* (John Ayliffe) (1676-1732)

If a suit be begun before an archdeacon

In store for, in the future of (someone).

* (Thomas Carlyle) (1795-1881)

The golden ageis before us.

In front of, according to a formal system of ordering items.

At a higher or greater position in a ranking.

* (Bible), (w) i. 15

He that cometh after me is preferred before me.

* (Samuel Johnson) (1709-1784)

The eldest son is before the younger in succession.

Synonyms

* (earlier than in time) by, no later than * (in front of in space) ahead of, in front of * (in front of according to an ordering system) ahead of

Antonyms

* (earlier than in time) after, later than * (in front of in space) behind * (in front of according to an ordering system) after

Adverb

(-)

At an earlier time.

* , chapter=12

, title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. It was ugly, gross. Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connexion—or rather as a transition from the subject that started their conversation—such talk had been distressingly out of place.}}

In advance.

At the front end.

* 1896 , (Hilaire Belloc), The Bad Child’s Book of Beasts , :

When people call this beast to mind,
They marvel more and more
At such a (little) tail behind,
So LARGE a trunk before .

Synonyms

* (at an earlier time) previously * (in advance) ahead * (at the front end) in front

Antonyms

* (at an earlier time) after * (at the front end) behind

Derived terms

* beforehand * beforetime

Conjunction

(English Conjunctions)

in advance of the time when

(informal) rather or sooner than

Synonyms

* (rather than) lest

References

* Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition , Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8

Statistics

* English locatives English sequence adverbs 1000 English basic words

off

English

Adverb

(en adverb)

In a direction away from the speaker or object.

, title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=No matter how early I came down, I would find him on the veranda, smoking cigarettes, or

Into a state of non-operation; into a state of non-existence.

Usage notes

* Used in many , off'' is an adverbial particle often mistakenly thought of as a preposition. (It ''can be used as a preposition, but such usage is rare and usually informal; see below.)

Synonyms

* away, out

Antonyms

* on, in

Derived terms

* back off * bite off * break off * bring off * call off * clean off * cut off, cutoff * die off * drop off * fall off * fuck off * get off * go off * goof off * hold off * keep off * kick off, kickoff * knock off * lay off, layoff * leave off * let off * light off * live off * make off * make off with * nod off * pay off, payoff * piss off * pull off * put off * ring off * rip off, ripoff * round off * run off, runoff * see off * set off * show off, showoff * sleep off * shake off * switch off * take off * tell off * tick off * turn off, turnoff * walk it off * wear off

Adjective

(en adjective)

Inoperative, disabled.

:All the lights are off .

Rancid, rotten.

:This milk is off !

(cricket) In, or towards the half of the field away from the batsman's legs; the right side for a right-handed batsman.

Less than normal, in temperament or in result.

:sales are off this quarter

Circumstanced (as in well off'', ''better off'', ''poorly off ).

Started on the way.

:off to see the wizard

:And they're off ! Whatsmyname takes an early lead, with Remember The Mane behind by a nose.

Far; off to the side.

:the off horse or ox in a team, in distinction from the nigh or near horse

*:So this was my future home, I thought!Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.

*1937 , (Zora Neale Hurston), Their Eyes Were Watching God , Harper Perennial (2000), p.151:

*:He came in, took a look and squinched down into a chair in an off corner and didn’t open his mouth.

Designating a time when one is not strictly attentive to business or affairs, or is absent from a post, and, hence, a time when affairs are not urgent.

:He took an off''' day for fishing. an '''off''' year in politics; the '''off season

Antonyms

* (inoperative) on * (rotten) fresh * (cricket) on, leg

Derived terms

* off to the races

Preposition

(English prepositions)

(Used to indicate movement away from a position on)

I took it off''' the table.''; ''Come '''off the roof!

(colloquial) Out of the possession of.

He didn't buy it off''' him. He stole it '''off him.

Away from or not on.

He's off''' the computer, but he's still on the phone.''; ''Keep '''off the grass.

Disconnected or subtracted from.

We've been off''' the grid for three days now.''; ''He took 20% '''off the list price.

Distant from.

We're just off''' the main road.''; ''The island is 23 miles ' off the cape.

No longer wanting or taking.

He's been off''' his feed since Tuesday.''; ''He's '''off his meds again.

Tantalum bar 6 off 3/8" Dia × 12" — Atom, Great Britain Atomic Energy Authority, 1972

samples submitted … 12 off Thermistors type 1K3A531 … — BSI test report for shock and vibration testing, 2000

I'd like to re-order those printer cartridges, let's say 5-off .

Antonyms

Derived terms

* off-campus * off one's feed

Verb

(en verb)

(slang) To kill.

He got in the way so I had him offed .

(Singapore) To switch off.

Can you off the light?

Derived terms

* off-licence, off-license, offie, offy

Statistics

* 1000 English basic words 200 English basic words English contranyms English locatives English prepositions English three-letter words