Definition

1. Preposition:

   • At or to the back of: Indicates a position at the rear of something or someone.
   • Later than or after in time: Indicates a sequence where one event follows another.
   • In support of or responsible for: Indicates being the cause or support for something.
   • Less advanced than or inferior to: Indicates a lower standard, level, or position compared to another.

2. Adverb:

   • At or toward the back: In a position at the rear.
   • In a place or condition left after departure: Remaining after someone or something has gone.
   • Late or slow in relation to a schedule or expectation: Not on time; delayed.
   • In arrears: Owed for a past due period.

3. Noun (informal):

   • The buttocks: The part of the body on which a person sits.

Examples of Usage

• Preposition:

  • The cat hid behind the sofa. (Position)
  • New evidence emerged from behind the scenes. (Hidden/secret position)
  • He arrived behind schedule. (Time)
  • The idea behind the project is to help the community. (Reason/support)
  • Our technology is behind our competitors'. (Inferiority)

• Adverb:

  • She walked on ahead, and he followed behind. (Position)
  • He glanced behind to see if anyone was there. (Direction)
  • Don't leave your bags behind. (Remaining)
  • I'm behind in my rent. (Late/In arrears)
  • The home team is behind by ten points. (In a contest)

• Noun:

  • He fell flat on his behind. (Buttocks)

Advanced Usage

• "Behind the times": Old-fashioned; not modern.

  • Their business methods are behind the times.

• "Behind someone's back": Secretly; without someone's knowledge.

  • They made plans behind his back.

• "Behind the scenes": In secret; not visible to the public.

  • A lot of hard work happens behind the scenes.

• "Fall behind": To fail to keep up with a schedule or with others.

  • If you miss classes, you will fall behind.

Variants and Related Words

• Behindhand (adj/adv): Late or behind schedule; archaic synonym for "behind."
  • He was behindhand with his report.

Synonyms

• Preposition: At the back of, after, following, supporting.
• Adverb: At the rear, afterward, late, slow.
• Noun: Buttocks, rear, bottom, backside.

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Get behind: To support; or to fail to keep up.

  • We need everyone to get behind this initiative. (Support)
  • I don't want to get behind on my work. (Fall behind)

• Leave behind: To not take someone or something with you; to surpass.

  • He left behind his old life. (Abandon)
  • Her research has left all others behind. (Surpassed)

Related Idioms

• Behind the eight ball: In a difficult or disadvantageous position.

  • Losing that contract has put the company behind the eight ball.

• Close behind: Following very soon after.

  • The leader is ahead, but her rival is close behind.

Adjective

1. having the lower score or lagging position in a contest
   • behind by two points
   • the 8th inning found the home team trailing

Adverb

1. in debt
   • he fell behind with his mortgage payments
   • a month behind in the rent
   • a company that has been run behindhand for years
   • in arrears with their utility bills
2. in or into an inferior position
   • fell behind in his studies
   • their business was lagging behind in the competition for customers
3. of timepieces
   • the clock is almost an hour slow
   • my watch is running behind
4. remaining in a place or condition that has been left or departed from
   • when he died he left much unfinished work behind
   • left a large family behind
   • the children left their books behind
   • he took off with a squeal of tires and left the other cars far behind
5. in or to or toward the rear
   • he followed behind
   • seen from behind, the house is more imposing than it is from the front
   • the final runners were far behind

Noun

1. the fleshy part of the human body that you sit on
   • he deserves a good kick in the butt
   • are you going to sit on your fanny and do nothing?