Prepositions by category¶
Preposition |
Accompaniment / Association |
Comparative / Similarity |
Condition / Concession |
Causal / Reason |
Direction / Path |
Instrumental / Means |
Spatial / Locative |
Temporal / Time |
Function / Notes |
Other Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
aboard |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
— |
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about |
complement-taking verb |
adjective / adverb |
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above |
✓ |
intransitive |
adjective / adverb / noun |
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abreast |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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abroad |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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absent |
formal / adjective-like |
adjective / noun |
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according |
✓ |
“according to” |
— |
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across |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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adrift |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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aft |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb / noun |
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after |
✓ |
intransitive / complement-taking |
conjunction |
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against |
✓ |
noun / verb |
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ago |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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ahead |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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akimbo |
intransitive |
adverb |
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aloft |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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along |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
— |
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alongside |
✓ |
intransitive |
— |
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although |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
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amid |
✓ |
— |
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among |
✓ |
— |
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apart |
intransitive |
adverb |
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apropos |
adjective / adverb / preposition |
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around |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
— |
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as |
✓ |
conjunction / prepositional phrase |
adverb / conjunction |
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ashore |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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aside |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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aslant |
intransitive |
adverb |
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astride |
✓ |
— |
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at |
✓ |
adverb / noun |
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away |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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back |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb / noun |
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bar |
✓ |
noun / verb |
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barring |
✓ |
clause introducer |
verb |
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based |
adjective / participial phrase |
verb |
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because |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
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before |
✓ |
intransitive / complement-taking |
conjunction |
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beforehand |
intransitive |
adverb |
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behind |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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below |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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beneath |
✓ |
— |
||||||||
beside |
✓ |
✓ |
— |
|||||||
besides |
✓ |
adverb |
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between |
✓ |
— |
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betwixt |
✓ |
— |
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beyond |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
— |
||||||
but |
✓ |
conjunction / exception |
noun / adverb |
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by |
✓ |
✓ |
adverb / noun |
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chez |
✓ |
noun |
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circa |
✓ |
adverb |
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come |
✓ |
clause introducer |
verb |
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contra |
✓ |
— |
||||||||
counting |
participial phrase |
verb |
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cum |
noun / phrase |
— |
||||||||
despite |
preposition / adverb |
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down |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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due |
✓ |
adjective / participial phrase |
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during |
✓ |
— |
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east |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun / adverb |
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ere |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
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except |
✓ |
verb / conjunction |
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excepting |
✓ |
participial phrase |
verb |
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following |
participial phrase |
adjective |
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for |
preposition / complement |
conjunction / infinitive marker |
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forth |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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forward(s) |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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from |
— |
preposition / adverb |
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given |
✓ |
participial phrase |
adjective |
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granted |
✓ |
participial phrase |
adjective |
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hence |
adverb / conjunct |
— |
||||||||
henceforth |
adverb |
— |
||||||||
here |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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home |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb / noun |
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if |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
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in |
✓ |
— |
||||||||
including |
participial phrase / modifier |
— |
||||||||
indoors |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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inside |
✓ |
intransitive |
— |
|||||||
instead |
adverb / modifier |
— |
||||||||
into |
✓ |
— |
||||||||
less |
✓ |
comparative phrase |
adjective / adverb |
|||||||
lest |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
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like |
✓ |
comparative / preposition |
verb / adverb |
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minus |
✓ |
comparative / arithmetic |
noun / verb |
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modulo |
arithmetic / modifier |
— |
||||||||
near |
✓ |
adjective / adverb |
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nearby |
✓ |
intransitive |
adjective / adverb |
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next |
✓ |
adjective / adverb |
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north |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun / adverb |
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now |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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o’clock |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun |
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of |
complement-taking |
preposition only |
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off |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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on |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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once |
✓ |
temporal phrase |
adverb / conjunction |
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onto |
✓ |
— |
||||||||
onward(s) |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
|||||||
opposite |
✓ |
intransitive |
adjective / adverb |
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out |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
|||||||
over |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
|||||||
owing |
✓ |
adjective / participial phrase |
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past |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun / adverb |
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pending |
participial phrase |
adjective |
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per |
arithmetic / rate |
— |
||||||||
plus |
✓ |
arithmetic / comparative |
noun / verb |
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prior |
temporal phrase / modifier |
adjective |
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pro |
arithmetic / modifier |
— |
||||||||
provided |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
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providing |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
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pursuant |
formal / legal |
— |
||||||||
qua |
formal / role |
noun |
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regarding |
formal / topical |
verb / participle |
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respecting |
participial phrase / modifier |
verb |
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round |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb / noun |
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sans |
preposition / formal |
— |
||||||||
save |
✓ |
exception |
verb / noun |
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saving |
participial phrase |
verb / noun |
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seeing |
participial phrase |
verb |
||||||||
short |
intransitive |
adjective |
||||||||
since |
✓ |
✓ |
temporal / clause introducer |
conjunction |
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so |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction / adverb |
|||||||
south |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun / adverb |
|||||||
sub |
prepositional / abbreviation |
noun / adjective |
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supposing |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
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than |
✓ |
comparative / clause introducer |
conjunction |
|||||||
then |
temporal sequence / adverb |
adverb / noun |
||||||||
thence |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
|||||||
thenceforth |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
|||||||
there |
✓ |
✓ |
expletive / adverb |
noun / adverb |
||||||
though |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
|||||||
through |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
|||||||
throughout |
✓ |
— |
||||||||
till |
✓ |
temporal clause |
conjunction |
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times |
✓ |
arithmetic |
noun / verb |
|||||||
to |
✓ |
— |
||||||||
together |
✓ |
modifier / adjunct |
adverb |
|||||||
toward(s) |
✓ |
— |
||||||||
under |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
||||||
underfoot |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun / adverb |
|||||||
underground |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun / adverb |
|||||||
underneath |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun / adverb |
|||||||
unless |
✓ |
clause introducer |
conjunction |
|||||||
unlike |
✓ |
comparative / contrast |
adjective / adverb |
|||||||
until |
✓ |
clause introducer / temporal |
conjunction |
|||||||
unto |
✓ |
formal / literary |
— |
|||||||
up |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
|||||||
upon |
✓ |
formal / literary |
— |
|||||||
versus |
✓ |
contrast / comparison |
noun / adverb |
|||||||
via |
✓ |
travel / path |
— |
|||||||
vis-à-vis |
✓ |
comparative / locative |
— |
|||||||
wanting |
lacking / participial |
adjective / verb |
||||||||
west |
✓ |
intransitive |
noun / adverb |
|||||||
when |
✓ |
clause introducer / temporal |
conjunction |
|||||||
whence |
✓ |
clause introducer / origin |
adverb |
|||||||
where |
✓ |
clause introducer / relative |
adverb |
|||||||
whereas |
✓ |
✓ |
contrast / clause introducer |
conjunction |
||||||
while |
✓ |
temporal / clause introducer |
conjunction |
|||||||
whilst |
✓ |
temporal / clause introducer |
conjunction |
|||||||
with |
✓ |
accompaniment / instrument |
noun / verb |
|||||||
within |
✓ |
✓ |
intransitive |
adverb |
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without |
absence / exclusion |
adverb |