'til

212 7.6

Up to a certain time or event

adposition
/tɪl/

Informal

: hasta

He worked on his project 'til he was completely satisfied with the results.

Examples

I will wait here 'til you arrive.
She won't leave 'til the party ends.
We waited outside the theater 'til the doors finally opened.
You can stay at the party 'til midnight if you want.
Please stay here 'til I come back with the car.
The store is open 'til 8 PM on weekdays.
He promised to work on his project 'til it's finished.

Synonyms

until

vs'til

∞ 1.0

A word that shows the time when something stops or changes

is an informal contracted form used mainly in speech

till

vs'til

∞ 1.0

Up to the time when something happens

is an informal contracted form used mainly in speech

Antonyms

after

∞ 1.0

At a later time than something else

How Formal

until

∞ 1.0

till

∞ 1.0

'til

Informal

212 7.6

Surface Forms

'til main

Etymology

The word 'til is an informal short form of until, with the apostrophe showing the missing un- at the start. It means 'up to' a time or event, the same idea as the common word till, so thinking of it as a spoken, shorter 'until' helps you remember it.