until

/ənˈtɪl/

up to the time that

We'll wait here until the rain stops.

The waiting continues until the rain stops.

general

up to the time that something happens

She studied until midnight.

Her studying continued until midnight.

The store is open until 9 PM.

The store's operating hours extend until 9 PM.

Often used to indicate a deadline or endpoint in time.

general

not before a specified time

You can't leave until you finish your homework.

Departure is not allowed before homework is completed.

Emphasizes that an action or event must wait until a condition is met.

Collocations

until further noticefor an indefinite period, subject to changeuntil the endcontinuing to the very last momentuntil nowup to the present moment

for an indefinite period, subject to change

for a very long time

'Until' can function as a conjunction (e.g., 'Wait until I call you') or a preposition (e.g., 'Stay here until noon').

'Until' always refers to a point in time, not a duration. Use 'for' to indicate duration (e.g., 'for two hours').

From Middle English 'untill', from Old English 'on til' (on to).

Can be used as both a conjunction and a preposition. Often interchangeable with 'till' in informal contexts.

un-

not

prefix

-til

root

English Dictionary