until
until Lexical Profile
until Game Scores & Validity
• conjunction
Up to the point in time or the event mentioned.
"We waited inside the terminal until the rain finally stopped."
Before a specified time or event occurs (used in negative contexts).
"The committee cannot finalize the budget until all departments submit their reports."
• preposition
Up to the time of; onward to a specified point in time.
"The library remains open until nine o'clock on weekday evenings."
Before a specified time or event (used with negative verbs).
"The museum exhibition will not open to the public until next Friday."
Word Nuance & Usage
"Until" and "till" are interchangeable in meaning, though "until" is slightly more formal and commonly used at the beginning of a sentence. Avoid the nonstandard spelling "'til" or "untill" in formal writing.
• Rhymes for until
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English until, formed by combining the prefix un- (meaning "unto" or "up to", of Old Norse origin) with the preposition til (meaning "till" or "to").