ahead

Ahead is an adverb and an adjective used to indicate a position in front or a point in time earlier than another reference. In spatial use, it describes being in front of something or leading a group or line. In temporal use, it denotes occurrence before a stated time or deadline, as in ahead of schedule or planning ahead for the future.

As a phrase, go ahead signals permission to proceed. Ahead of introduces a comparative or anticipatory relation: the car is ahead of us, we are ahead of schedule. Look ahead means to consider future consequences or plan for what comes next. Ahead is commonly paired with time-related words such as time, schedule, deadline, and plan, and with prepositions like of and with.

Idiomatic uses and related expressions include look ahead, press ahead (continue with effort), and get ahead (make progress, advance oneself). The phrase can also convey leadership or progress, as in being ahead of competitors or ahead in development. In contrast to forward, ahead emphasizes being in front relative to another reference point, while forward often stresses direction.

Etymology traces to a- plus head, with the core sense of being in front; the sense extended to temporal precedence and permission to proceed. The word remains widely used in formal and informal contexts to describe relative position, timing, or the act of moving onward.