Word
Definition
prep. not having something, or not doing something. You use it when a person or thing is missing from a situation.
prep. indicating the absence, lack, or exclusion of a person, object, or action. Functions as the head of a prepositional phrase and requires a noun phrase or gerund as its complement.
Examples
“I cannot drink coffee without sugar.”
“He left the house without his keys and had to wait outside for his roommate to return.”
“The project proceeded without any significant delays, despite the initial concerns regarding the budget and the availability of specialized equipment.”
Examples
simple
“I cannot drink coffee without sugar.”
contextual
“He left the house without his keys and had to wait outside for his roommate to return.”
complex
“The project proceeded without any significant delays, despite the initial concerns regarding the budget and the availability of specialized equipment.”
Usage
Takes a noun phrase or a gerund (-ing form) as an object. When followed by a verb, that verb must be in the gerund form.
Pitfall
He left without to say goodbye
He left without saying goodbye
The preposition 'without' must be followed by a gerund (-ing), not an infinitive.
Etymology
From Middle English withoute, withouten, from Old English wiþūtan (literally “against the outside of”). Compare Dutch buiten (“outside of, without”), Danish uden (“without”), Swedish utan (“without”), Norwegian uten (“without”). By surface analysis, with- + out. Superseded non-native Middle English sauns, sans (“without”), from Old French sans, sanz, senz (“without”). Compare typologically Proto-Slavic bez (“without”) (<+ Proto-Indo-European h₁éǵʰs (“out”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/without
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0