List of English prepositions - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

This is a list of English prepositions. In English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, 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

History of the English language

English is a West Germanic language that originated from the Anglo-Frisian dialects brought to Britain by Germanic invaders from various parts of what is now northwest Germany and the Netherlands. Initially, Old English was a diverse group of dialects, reflecting the varied origins of the...

, 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

Closed class

In linguistics, a closed class is a word class to which no new items can normally be added, and that usually contains a relatively small number of items. Typical closed classes found in many languages are adpositions , determiners, conjunctions, and pronouns.Contrastingly, an open class offers...

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

athwart

atop

barring

before

behind

below

beneath

beside

besides

between

betwixt

beyond

but

circa (sometimes abbreviated as "c." or "ca.")

concerning

despite

down

during

except

excluding

failing

following

for

from

given

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)

off

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

toward

towards

under

underneath

unlike

until

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

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
Adverb
An adverb is a part of speech that modifies verbs or any part of speech other than a noun . Adverbs can modify verbs, adjectives , clauses, sentences, and other adverbs....

, 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

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
considering
regarding
worth

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

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