ahead of time — before the planned or expected time; earlier than scheduled
Part of speech: ADVERB
Definition: before the planned or expected time; earlier than scheduled
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈhɛd əv taɪm/
Example Sentences
- My grandmother always cooks Thanksgiving dinner ahead of time, claiming it tastes better when the turkey has time to 'think about its life choices.'
- I finished my assignment ahead of time and rewarded myself with three hours of cat videos.
- The construction project was completed ahead of time, much to everyone's surprise.
ahead of time
ADVERB[/əˈhɛd əv taɪm/]
before the planned or expected time; earlier than scheduled
She finished wrapping all the gifts ahead of time, days before the party.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The phrase combines 'ahead', derived from the prefix a- (indicating direction) and 'head' (meaning front or forward direction), producing the sense of 'in front' or 'forward'. When combined with 'of time', it became an idiomatic expression meaning 'before the expected or scheduled time'.
Breakdown
a- (toward/direction) + head (front) + of + time (temporal reference). The prefix a- attaches to 'head' to indicate forward spatial movement, and 'of time' specifies the temporal comparison.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My grandmother always cooks Thanksgiving dinner ahead of time, claiming it tastes better when the turkey has time to 'think about its life choices.'”
“I finished my assignment ahead of time and rewarded myself with three hours of cat videos.”
“The construction project was completed ahead of time, much to everyone's surprise.”
“It's wise to book your flight ahead of time to get better prices.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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