Ahead Meaning
/əˈhɛd/Definition, CEFR level A2, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
advAt or towards the front; in the direction one is facing or moving.
advSo as to be further advanced, either spatially or in an abstract sense; to be superior.
Sentence Examples
You can get ahead in the world.
I hope you have a happy future ahead of you.
I'll run ahead and warn them.
CEFR Practice Quiz
There is a sharp curve ____, so please slow down your car.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
You should look ____ when you are walking to avoid any obstacles.
Word Origin & History
From a- + head. Perhaps originally a nautical term, beyond the head (of a ship), then drifting into more general English usage where it is used to describe something as being in front of.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Then the customer would set a rebidding deadline ahead a month - for example from September 1 to October 1 - and give everybody four weeks to submit […]"
— 1995, Charles Edward Weber, Stories of Virtue in Business, University Press of America, →ISBN, page 55:
"When we saw that wasn't working in 1976, we moved the deadline ahead to 1978."
— 1998, United States House Committee on Agriculture, Subcommittee on Department Operations, Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture, Implementation of the Food Quality Protection Act: Hearing Before the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Nutrition, and Foreign Agriculture of the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session, June 25, 1998, page 46:
"[…] committees in Congress hae a March 15 deadline for reporting their "views and estimates" to the budget committees. The Senate Republican leadership, eager to get a jump on the annual budget process, moved the deadline ahead to March 1 for Senate committees."
— 1985, Congressional Quarterly Weekly Report, volume 43, page 606:
"[…] the Department is responding to the statutory requirement in the USA Patriot Act that moved the deadline ahead to 2003 from 2007."
— 2003, United States House Committee on Government Reform, Smooth Sailing Or an Impending Wreck?: The Impact of New Visa and Passport Requirements on Foreign Travel to the United States : Hearing Before the Committee on Government Reform, House of Representatives, One Hundred Eighth Congress, First Session, July 10, 2003, page 113:
Explore More A2 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
There is a sharp curve ____, so please slow down your car.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
You should look ____ when you are walking to avoid any obstacles.