Before vs. By — What's the Difference?

During the period of time preceding (a particular event or time)

Identifying the agent performing an action.

In front of

Indicating the means of achieving something

In preference to; rather than

Indicating the amount or size of a margin

During the period of time preceding (a particular event or time)

Indicating a deadline or the end of a particular time period

In front of

Indicating location of a physical object beside a place or object

In preference to; rather than

Indicating the period in which something happens

During the period of time preceding (a particular event or time)

Concerning; according to

In front of

Used in mild oaths

In preference to; rather than

So as to go past

Earlier in time

Variant spelling of bye

In front; ahead.

Close to; next to

Previous to in time; earlier than.

With the use or help of; through

In front of.

Up to and beyond; past

In store for; awaiting

At or to

Into or in the presence of

In the period of; during

Under the consideration or jurisdiction of

Not later than

In a position superior to

In the amount of

In advance of the time when

To the extent of

Rather than; sooner than

According to

Earlier than (in time).

With respect to

In front of in space.

In the name of

In the presence of.

Through the agency or action of

Under consideration, judgment, authority of (someone).

Used to indicate a succession of specified individuals, groups, or quantities

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

Used in multiplication and division

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

Used with measurements

At a higher or greater position than, in a ranking.

Toward. Used to express direction with points of the compass

At an earlier time.

On hand; nearby

In advance.

Aside; away

At the front end.

Up to, alongside, and past

In advance of the time when.

At or to one's home or current location

(informal) Rather or sooner than.

Into the past

In front of; preceding in space; ahead of; as, to stand before the fire; before the house.

Variant of bye1.

Preceding in time; earlier than; previously to; anterior to the time when; - sometimes with the additional idea of purpose; in order that.

Near or next to.

An advance of; farther onward, in place or time.

From one side of something to the other, passing close by; past.

Prior or preceding in dignity, order, rank, right, or worth; rather than.

Not later than (the given time); not later than the end of (the given time interval).

In presence or sight of; face to face with; facing.

Indicates the person or thing that does or causes something: Through the action or presence of.

Under the cognizance or jurisdiction of.

Following a passive verb.

Open for; free of access to; in the power of.

Following a noun.

On the fore part; in front, or in the direction of the front; - opposed to in the rear.

(not in common modern use) Following an adjective.

In advance.

Indicates the creator of a work: Existing through the authorship etc. of.

In time past; previously; already.

Indicates a means of achieving something: Involving/using the means of.

Earlier; sooner than; until then.

Indicates an authority according to which something is done.

Earlier in time; previously;

Invokes an authority in an oath.

At or in the front;

Indicates a means of classification or organisation.

Indicates the amount of change, difference or discrepancy

In the formulae X by X and by Xs, indicates a steady progression, one X after another.

Acted on in units of the specified size or measure. (Sometimes hyperbolically)

Per; with or in proportion to each.

Indicates a referenced source: According to.

Used to separate dimensions when describing the size of something.

(horse breeding) Designates a horse's male parent (sire); cf. out of.

At, with, among

Along a path which runs past the speaker.

In the vicinity, near.

To or at a place, as a residence or place of business.

Aside, away.

Out of the way, off to one side.

Subsidiary, incidental.

Alternative spelling of bye.

In the neighborhood of; near or next to; not far from; close to; along with; as, come and sit by me.

On; along; in traversing. Compare 5.

Near to, while passing; hence, from one to the other side of; past; as, to go by a church.

Used in specifying adjacent dimensions; as, a cabin twenty feet by forty.

Against.

With, as means, way, process, etc.; through means of; with aid of; through; through the act or agency of; as, a city is destroyed by fire; profit is made by commerce; to take by force.

Near; in the neighborhood; present; as, there was no person by at the time.

Passing near; going past; past; beyond; as, the procession has gone by; a bird flew by.

Aside; as, to lay by; to put by.

Out of the common path; aside; - used in composition, giving the meaning of something aside, secondary, or incidental, or collateral matter, a thing private or avoiding notice; as, by-line, by-place, by-play, by-street. It was formerly more freely used in composition than it is now; as, by-business, by-concernment, by-design, by-interest, etc.

So as to pass a given point;

In reserve; not for immediate use;