List of English prepositions

"With" redirects here. For other uses, see With (disambiguation).

This is a list of English prepositions. In English, some prepositions are short, typically containing six letters or fewer. There are, however, a significant number of multi-word prepositions. Throughout the history of the English language, new prepositions have come into use, old ones fallen out of use, and the meaning of existing prepositions has changed. The prepositions generally remain a closed class.

Single words

a abaft aboard about above absent across afore after against along alongside amid amidst among amongst an (see "a" for usage in front of consonants) apropos ("apropos of" is a common derived term) around as (also an adverb and a conjunction)

aside astride at athwart atop barring before behind below beneath beside besides between betwixt beyond but by circa (sometimes abbreviated as "c." or "ca.") concerning despite down during

except excluding failing following for from given in including inside into lest like mid (from "amid". Usually used poetically.) midst (from "amidst". Usually used poetically.) minus modulo near next

notwithstanding (also used postpositionally) of off on onto opposite out outside over pace past per plus pro qua regarding round sans save since than through, thru (informal)

throughout, thruout (informal) till times to toward towards under underneath unlike until up upon versus, commonly abbreviated as "vs.", or (principally in law or sports) as "v." via vice, meaning "in place of" with (sometimes written as "w/") within (sometimes written as "w/in" or "w/i") without (sometimes written as "w/o") worth

Multiple words

Two words

according to ahead of apart from as for as of as per as regards aside from back to because of close to due to except for far from in to (contracted as into) inside of (note that inside out is an adverb, not a preposition)

instead of left of near to next to on to (contracted as onto) out from out of outside of owing to prior to pursuant to regardless of right of subsequent to thanks to that of where as

Three words

• as far as
• as well as

Preposition + (article) + noun + preposition

English has a number of idiomatic expressions which act as prepositions, but can be analyzed as a preposition followed by a noun (sometimes preceded by the definite or, occasionally, indefinite article) followed by another preposition. Common examples include:

• by means of
• for the sake of
• in accordance with
• in addition to
• in case of
• in front of
• in lieu of
• in order to
• in place of
• in point of
• in spite of
• on account of
• on behalf of
• on top of
• with regard to
• with respect to
• with a view to

Archaic or infrequently used

• anent
• anti (loan word)
• behither
• betwixt
• chez
• cum (Latin loan word)
• ere
• fornenst
• fornent
• gainst or 'gainst (from against)
• neath or 'neath (from beneath)
• outwith
• pro (loan word)
• qua (loan word)
• re (loan word)
• sans (loan word)
• 'twixt (from betwixt)
• unto (largely supplanted by to; used in some formal, religious, or archaic contexts)
• vis-à-vis (loan word)

Not fully grammaticized

• concerning (alternate for "about", "with respect to")
• considering (alternate for "given")
• regarding (alternate for "about", "with respect to")
• respecting (alternate for "about", "with respect to")
• worth^{[citation needed]}

Preposition-like modifiers of quantified noun phrases

• apart from
• but
• except
• plus
• save

Postpositions

• ago as in "five years ago", sometimes considered an adverb rather than a postposition
• apart as in "this apart", also used prepositionally ("apart from this")
• aside as in "such examples aside", also used prepositionally ("aside from such examples")
• away as in "five light years away", sometimes considered an adverb or an adjective rather than a postposition
• hence as in "five years hence", sometimes considered an adverb rather than a postposition
• notwithstanding also used prepositionally
• on as in "five years on", also used prepositionally
• through as in "the whole night through", also used prepositionally
• withal archaic as a postposition meaning with