English

Preposition

ahead of

1. In front of.

   A hill loomed ahead of them.

   • (Can we date this quote?) Fielding

     The island bore but a little ahead of us.

2. Preceding.

   He's giving a series of concerts in London ahead of his international tour.

3. In the future of.

   You have a long trip ahead of you.

   Peter has a lot of work ahead of him.

4. In advance of.

   I arrived at the suite half an hour ahead of Jack.

5. Having made more progress than.

   He is far ahead of his class in math.

   • 2012 August 21, Pilkington, Ed, “Death penalty on trial: should Reggie Clemons live or die?”, in The Guardian:

     The Reggie Clemons case has been a cause of legal dispute for the past two decades. Prosecutors alleged that he and his co-defendants brutally cut short the lives of Julie and Robin Kerry, sisters who had just started college and had their whole adult lives ahead of them.

Derived terms

• ahead of one's time
• ahead of the curve
• ahead of the game
• ahead of time