List of English prepositions
This is a list of English prepositions. In English, some prepositions are short, typically containing five 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 changed. Nonetheless, the prepositions are by and large a closed class.
Single words
- aboard
- about
- above
- across
- after
- against
- along
- among
- around
- at
- athwart
- atop
- barring
- before
- behind
- below
- beneath
- beside
- besides
- between
- beyond
- but
- by
- concerning
- despite
- down
- during
- except
- failing
- following
- for
- from
- in
- inside
- into
- like
- mid (from "amid". Usually used poetically.)
- minus
- near
- next
- notwithstanding (also used postpositionally)
- of
- off
- on
- onto
- opposite
- out
- outside
- over
- past
- per
- plus
- regarding
- round
- save
- since
- than
- through
- throughout
- till
- times
- to
- toward
- towards
- under
- underneath
- unlike
- until
- up
- upon
- via
- with
- within
- without
- worth
Multi words
Two words
- according to
- ahead of
- aside from
- because of
- close to
- due to
- except for
- [[far from
- in to (contracted as into)
- inside of (note that inside out is an adjective, not a preposition)
- instead of
- near to
- next to
- on to (contracted as onto)
- out from
- out of
- outside of
- owing to]]
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Headline text
Three words
- as far as
- as well as
- by means of
- in accordance with
- in addition to
- in case of
- in front of
- in lieu of
- in place of
- in spite of
- on account of
- on behalf of
- on top of
Archaic or infrequently used
- anent
- anti (loan word)
- behither
- betwixt
- circa (loan word)
- cum (loan word)
- in lieu of (loan word)
- pro (loan word)
- qua (loan word)
- re (loan word)
- sans (loan word)
- unto (largely supplanted by to; used in some formal, religious, and/or archaic contexts)
- versus (loan word)
- vis-à-vis (loan word)
Not fully grammaticalised
Preposition-like modifiers of quantified noun phrases
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