bef.

English

Adjective

bef. (not comparable)

1. (chiefly genealogy) Abbreviation of before.

   Synonym: a.

Usage notes

Within genealogy, bef. is often used to denote the date at which a vital record was created, often after an event. For instance, if a person was baptised on 1 January 1900 (and thus likely born earlier), their birthdate can be represented as “born bef. 1 January 1900”.

See also

• bapt. (“baptised”)
• b. (“born”)
• d. (“died”)

References

• “Glossary of Genealogical Terms”, in Ancestry.com‎, n.d.

Anagrams

• Feb, EFB, Feb., BFE