preposition
1 synonym for preposition, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A word such as in, on, at, to, from, with or by that links a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence, usually showing place, time, direction or relationship.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
function word
How to use preposition
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
preposition of place
preposition of time
prepositional phrase
end a sentence with a preposition
Neutral grammatical term.
Etymology
From Latin praepositio "a placing before", from praeponere "to put in front", from prae- "before" + ponere "to place".
Full origin of preposition →Frequently asked questions
Can you end a sentence with a preposition?
Yes. The idea that you cannot was borrowed from Latin grammar and has never matched real English usage. "What are you looking at?" is perfectly correct, and rewriting it to avoid the final preposition usually sounds stilted.
What is the difference between a preposition and a proposition?
A preposition is a grammatical word like "under" or "between". A proposition is a proposal, an offer, or in logic a statement that is either true or false. They are unrelated apart from a shared Latin prefix.
What are the most common prepositions?
Of, in, to, for, with, on, at, from, by, about and as make up the bulk of prepositions used in everyday English.
