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This is a list of English prepositions. In English, some prepositions are short, typically containing six letters or fewer. There are, however, many multi-word prepositions. Throughout the history of the English language, new prepositions have come into use, old ones have fallen out of use, and the meanings of existing prepositions have changed. The prepositions generally remain a closed class.

Single words [edit]

Multiple words [edit]

Two words [edit]

Three words [edit]

• as far as is one example of the many expressions which can be analyzed as as+adjective+as rather than a multiword preposition
• as opposed to
• as well as

Preposition + (article) + noun + preposition [edit]

English has many idiomatic expressions that act as prepositions that can be analyzed as a preposition followed by a noun (sometimes preceded by the definite or, occasionally, indefinite article) followed by another preposition.^[2] Common examples include:

Archaic or infrequently used [edit]

Not fully grammaticized [edit]

• concerning (alternate for "about", "with respect to")
• considering (alternate for "given")
• regarding (alternate for "about", "with respect to")
• respecting (alternate for "about", "with respect to")
• worth^{[citation needed]}

Preposition-like modifiers of quantified noun phrases [edit]

• apart from
• but
• except
• plus
• save

Postpositions [edit]

• 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 (some other prepositions can also be used in the same constructs, such as "in")
• through as in "the whole night through", also used prepositionally
• withal archaic as a postposition meaning with

References [edit]

1. ^ meaning "See definition 3 definition"
2. ^ Rodney Huddleston, Geoffrey K. Pullum et al. (2002). "chapter 7 §3.1". The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 618–620. ISBN 0-521-43146-8. 
3. ^ anent definition
4. ^ betwixt definition
5. ^ ere definition
6. ^ forby definition
7. ^ ^{a b} fornenst definition
8. ^ outwith definition