far before

USAGE SUMMARY

"far before" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to mean something happened a long time before something else. For example: "My grandmother had passed away far before I was born."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

"I've never made it this far before".

The New York Times - Magazine

I've never seen a cat pee that far before.

The New York Times

"He has not gone this far before," Mr. Ferrulo said.

The New York Times

And those who haven't been this far before were undoubtedly watched closely during group play.

Los Angeles Times

The crew never made it this far before; November's launch attempt ended midway through fueling.

Huffington Post

"No one had really taken a woman in a [fat] suit this far before," Gardner says.

Los Angeles Times

Rather his limitation occurred far before his birth.

The New York Times

The outcome could be clear far before that point.

The New York Times

She didn't make it far before collapsing again.

The Washington Post

Far before Charlottesville, they had already become acute.

The New York Times - Magazine

No one had made it this far before.

The New Yorker

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Choose "far before" when you want to stress that something occurred not just earlier, but well in advance of something else, emphasizing anticipation or preparation.

Common error

Avoid using "far before" when a simple "before" or "earlier" suffices. Overusing it can dilute its impact. Ensure there's a genuine need to highlight a significant time difference.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "far before" primarily functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying a verb or clause to specify when an action occurred in relation to another. As Ludwig AI points out, it indicates a temporal relationship, showing that something happened significantly earlier.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

25%

Academia

12.5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "far before" is a useful phrase for highlighting a significant temporal gap between two events. As Ludwig AI states, it's grammatically correct and commonly used. While "far before" is most common in news and media contexts, it also appears in scientific and academic writing. Use it to emphasize that one event not only preceded another but did so by a considerable amount of time, adding emphasis to the order in which events occured. Alternative phrases like ""significantly prior to"" can provide more formal options.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

well before

Simply indicates that something occurred sufficiently in advance.

significantly prior to

A more formal way of saying something happened much earlier. Use it to replace "far before" in more academic contexts.

much earlier than

Indicates a significant difference in time between two events.

considerably earlier than

Directly states that one event happened a notable amount of time before another.

substantially before

Similar to significantly before, it denotes a considerable time difference.

well in advance of

Emphasizes proactive preparation or planning; suggests acting considerably ahead of a deadline or event.

long preceding

Highlights an extended period of time separating two events, adding a sense of historical perspective.

way ahead of

Suggests a substantial lead time, implying preparedness or foresight.

long ago before

Emphasizes the remoteness in the past, making an event feel distant.

ages before

Implies a very long time ago, often used informally.

FAQs

How can I use "far before" in a sentence?

Use "far before" to indicate that an event occurred considerably earlier than another, such as "The treaty was signed "far before" the conflict escalated".

What's a more formal alternative to "far before"?

A more formal alternative is "significantly prior to". For example, "The research was conducted "significantly prior to" the publication of the findings".

Is "far before" always the best choice to indicate time order?

No, it is not. "Far before" emphasizes a significant time difference. If the time difference is not important, use simply "before".

What is the difference between "long before" and "far before"?

While both suggest something happened earlier, "far before" emphasizes a greater temporal distance or importance. "Long before" typically describes a period, while "far before" emphasizes a point in time.