A1 1K

Until

UK /["/ənˈtɪl/"]/ US /["/ənˈtɪl/"]/ Pronunciation

Definition

up to the point in time or the event mentioned

Listen to definition

In simple words: up to a particular point in time

Examples

• Let's wait until the rain stops.
• Until she spoke I hadn't realized she wasn't English.
• You're not going out until you've finished this.
• Until now I have always lived alone.
• They moved here in 2009. Until then they'd always been in the London area.
• He continued working **up until** his death.
• The street is full of traffic **from morning till night**.
• You can stay on the bus until London *(= until you reach London)*.

Usage notes

Use 'until' to indicate a time limit for an action. It's often used in both spoken and written English, but avoid in very formal contexts like academic writing.

Grammar pattern

until + time/event

Memory hint

Think of 'un-till' as not starting until a certain time.

Collocations

• wait until
• stay until
• not until

Synonyms

• till
• up to
• before

Antonyms

• after
• since

Common mistakes

• Using 'until' when 'before' is correct
• Confusing 'until' with 'to' in expressions of time
• Using 'until' with the wrong verb forms