List of English prepositions

This is a list of English prepositions.

Prototypical prepositions

The following are single-word prepositions that can take a noun phrase complement following the preposition. Prepositions in this section may also take other kinds of complements in addition to noun phrase complements. Prepositions marked with an asterisk can be used transitively or intransitively; that is, they can take noun phrase complements or not.

a
aboard*
about*
* abt.
above*
abreast
absent
across*
after*
against*
aloft*
along*
alongside*
amid
* amidst
* mid
* midst
among
* amongst
anti
apropos*
around*
* round*
as
aslant
astride
at
* @
atop
* ontop
bar
barring
before*
* B4
behind*
below*
beneath*
* neath
beside
besides*
between*
* 'tween
beyond*
but
by*
chez
circa
* c., ca.
come
concerning
contra
counting
cum
despite
* spite
down*
during
effective
ere
except
excepting
excluding
failing
following
for
* 4
from
in*
including
inside*
into
less
like
minus
modulo
* mod
near*
* nearer
* nearest
next
notwithstanding*
of
* o'
off*
offshore
on*
onto
opposite
out
outside*
over*
* o'er
pace
past*
pending
per
plus
post
pre
pro
qua
re
regarding
respecting
sans
save
saving
short
since*
sub
than
through*
* thru
throughout*
* thruout
till
times
to*
* t'
* 2
touching
toward, towards
under*
underneath*
unlike
until
unto
up*
upon
versus
* vs., v.
via
vice
vis-à-vis
wanting
with
* w/, w.
* c̄
within*
* w/i
without*
* 'thout
* w/o
worth
Intransitive prepositions

The following are single-word intransitive prepositions. This portion of the list includes only prepositions that are always intransitive; prepositions that can occur with or without noun phrase complements are listed with the prototypical prepositions. Note that dictionaries and grammars informed by concepts from traditional grammar may categorize these intransitive prepositions as adverbs.

abroad
adrift
aft
afterward
ahead
apart
ashore
aside
away
back
backward
beforehand
downhill
downstage
downstairs
downstream
downward
downwind
east
eastward
forth
forward
heavenward
hence
henceforth
here
hereby
herein
hereof
hereto
herewith
home
homeward
indoors
inward
leftward
north
northeast
northward
northwest
now
onward
outdoors
outward
overboard
overhead
overland
overseas
rightward
seaward
skyward
south
southeast
southward
southwest
then
thence
thenceforth
there
thereby
therein
thereof
thereto
therewith
together
underfoot
underground
uphill
upstage
upstairs
upstream
upward
upwind
west
westward
when
whence
where
whereby
wherein
whereto
wherewith
Conjunctive prepositions

The following are single-word prepositions that take clauses as complements. Prepositions marked with an asterisk in this section can only take non-finite clauses as complements. Note that dictionaries and grammars informed by concepts from traditional grammar may categorize these conjunctive prepositions as subordinating conjunctions.

after
although
as
at*
because
before
beside*
besides*
between*
by*
considering
despite*
except
for
from*
given
granted
if
into*
lest
like
notwithstanding
now
of*
on*
once
provided
providing
save
seeing
since
so
supposing
than
though
till
to*
unless
until
upon*
when
whenever
where
whereas
wherever
while
whilst
with*
without*
Postpositions

The following are postpositions, prepositions whose complements typically precede them. Note that some grammars classify prepositions and postpositions as different kinds of adpositions while other grammars categorize both under the heading of the more common variety in the language.

ago
apart
aside
aslant
away
hence
notwithstanding
on
over
short
through
Complex prepositions

The following are prepositions that consist of multiple words. They are categorized according to their structure.

Preposition + preposition

according to
across from
ahead of
along with
apart from
as for
as from
as of
as per
as regards
as to
aside from
away from
back to
because of
counter to
except for
in between
instead of
near to
next to
opposite of
out from
out of
outside of
owing to
pertaining to
round about
up against
up to
Preposition + (article) + noun + preposition

English has many idiomatic expressions that act as prepositions that can be analyzed as a preposition followed by a noun followed by another preposition. Common examples include:

at the behest of
at the expense of
at the hands of
at risk of
at variance with
by dint of
by means of
by virtue of
by way of
for sake of
for lack of
for/from want of
in accordance with
in addition to
in case of
in charge of
in compliance with
in conformity with
in contact with
in exchange for
in favor of
in front of
in lieu of
in light of
in line with
in place of
in point of
in quest of
in relation to
in/with regard to
in/with respect to
in return for
in search of
in spite of
in step with
in touch with
in terms of
in the name of
in view of
on account of
on behalf of
on grounds of
on the part of
on top of
with a view to
with the exception of
Other complex prepositions

The following complex prepositions do not follow either of the common structures for complex prepositions.

à la
as soon as
as well as
close to
due to
far from
in case
other than
per pro
prior to
pursuant to
rather than
regardless of
subsequent to
such as
Archaic, dialectal, or specialized

The following prepositions are not widely used in Present-Day English. Some, such as bating and forby, are archaic and typically only used to convey the tone of a bygone era. Others, such as ayond and side, are generally used only by speakers of a particular variety of English. Yet others are generally only used in specialized contexts, such as abaft in nautical settings and dehors in law.

Prototypical prepositions

abaft
abating
abeam
ablow
aboon
abouts
acrost
adown
a-eastell
afore
afornent
afront
afterhand
again
ahind
ajax
alength
alongst
aloof
alow
amell
amidmost
anear
aneath
anent
anewst
anunder
askant
asklent
astern
athwart
atour
atter
atween
atwixt
a-weather
a-west
awestell
ayond, ayont
bating
bedown
be-east
beforrow
behither
ben
benorth
besouth
betwixt
* 'twixt
bewest
bongre
bout
bove
'cept
contrair
contrary
cross
dehors
dot
durante
effore
emong, emonges
endlong, endlonges, endlongs
enduring
ensuing
even-forth
ex
excepted
extra
fae
forby
fore
fornent, fornenst
foregain, foregains, foregainst
forne
forout, forouten
forrow
forth
fro
fromward, fromwards
froward
furth
gain
gainst
gainward
gin
half-way, halfway
hent
inboard
incontrair
indurand
inmid, inmiddes
inter
inthrough
intil, intill
inwith
i'th'
'long
longs
longst
longways
malgrado
malgré
mang
maugre
midmost
mids
midward
midway
'mong
'mongst
more
moreover
moyening
natheless, nathless
nearabout, nearbout
nearby
nearhand
'neath
nigh, anigh, anighst
nigh-hand
nobbut
non-obstant
notwithstand
noughtwithstanding
offa
offen
only
or
otherside
outcept
outen
out-over
outta
out-taken
out-taking
out-through
outwith
overcross
over-right
overthorter
overthwart
overtop
pan
pass
pon
quoad
reserved
reserving
sauf
seen
sen
senza
side
sidelings
sidelong
sides
sin
sineth
sith
sithen
sithence
ter
thorough
thorter
thwart
thwart-over
tiv
touchant
transverse
traverse
twel, twill
ultra
umbe
unneath
upo’
upside
upsy, upsees
uptill
utouth
wid
withinside
withoutside
wiv
ymong
yond
yonside

List of English prepositions

Prototypical prepositions

Intransitive prepositions

Conjunctive prepositions

Postpositions

Complex prepositions

Preposition + preposition

Preposition + (article) + noun + preposition

Other complex prepositions

Archaic, dialectal, or specialized

Prototypical prepositions