Definition of 'without'
In addition to the uses shown below, without is used in the phrasal verbs 'do without', 'go without', and 'reckon without'.
1. preposition
You use without to indicate that someone or something does not have or use the thing mentioned.
2. preposition
If one thing happens without another thing, or if you do something without doing something else, the second thing does not happen or occur.
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
English Easy Learning GrammarPrepositionsWhat are prepositions in English?
How do you use prepositions in English?
What is a prepositional phrase in English?
How does using a particular preposition ... Read more
How do you use prepositions in English?
What is a prepositional phrase in English?
How does using a particular preposition ... Read more
British English pronunciation
American English pronunciation
You may also like
Word Frequency
without in British English
preposition
1.
not having
a traveller without much money
3.
not making use of
it is not easy to undo screws without a screwdriver
4. (foll by a verbal noun or noun phrase)
not, while not, or after not
she can sing for two minutes without drawing breath
5. archaic
on the outside of
adverb
conjunction
7. not standard
unless
don't come without you have some money
Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Word Frequency
without in American English
preposition
4. Archaic
beyond
without his reach
5.
not with; lacking; not accompanied by
a shirt without buttons, lonely without her
6.
free from
without fear
8. Obsolete
besides
noun
conjunction
10. Dialectal
unless
they can't go, without they get permission
Idioms:
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Word Frequency
without in American English
(wɪðˈaut, wɪθ-)
preposition
1.
without help
without shoes
without her helping me
without him to help
3.
not accompanied by
Don't go without me
4.
at, on, or to the outside of; outside of
both within and without the house or the city
5.
whether within or without the law
adverb
7.
outside a house, building, etc
The carriage awaits without
9.
as regards the outside; externally
noun
10.
the outside of a place, region, area, room, etc
conjunction
11. (in Midland and Southern US)
unless
Most material © 2005, 1997, 1991 by Penguin Random House LLC. Modified entries © 2019
by Penguin Random House LLC and HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
Word origin
[bef. 900; ME withouten, OE withūtan (adv. and prep.), equiv. to with with + -ūtan from without, equiv. to ūt out + -an suffix of motion from]Examples of 'without' in a sentence
without
These examples have been automatically selected and may contain sensitive content that does not reflect the opinions or policies of Collins, or its parent company HarperCollins.
We welcome feedback: report an example sentence to the Collins team. Read more…
Trends of
without
View usage for:
Source: Google Books Ngram Viewer
In other languages
without
British English: without
/wɪˈðaʊt/ PREPOSITION
If you do something without someone, they are not in the same place as you are, or they are not doing the same thing as you.
He went without me.
- American English: without /wɪˈðaʊt, wɪθ-/
- Arabic: بِدُون
- Brazilian Portuguese: sem
- Chinese: 没有
- Croatian: bez
- Czech: bez
- Danish: uden
- Dutch: zonder
- European Spanish: sin
- Finnish: ilman
- French: sans
- German: ohne
- Greek: χωρίς
- Italian: senza
- Japanese: ・・・なしで
- Korean: ...없이
- Norwegian: uten
- Polish: bez brak
- European Portuguese: sem
- Romanian: fără
- Russian: без
- Latin American Spanish: sin
- Swedish: utan
- Thai: ปราศจาก
- Turkish: onsuz
- Ukrainian: без
- Vietnamese: không có
Browse alphabetically
without
Related terms of
without
Source
Definition of without from the Collins English Dictionary
Read about the team of authors behind Collins Dictionaries.
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
SPORTS
Drag the correct answer into the box.
water polo
tennis
snooker
squash
SPORTS
Drag the correct answer into the box.
gymnastics
luge
shotput
fencing
Your score:
Word of the day
greenwash
Greenwash is an attempt by businesses to seem environmentally friendly without actually doing anything serious to protect the environment.
Latest Word Submissions
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more
Quick word challenge
Quiz Review
Question: 1
-
Score: 0 / 5
GARDENING
Drag the correct answer into the box.
hoe
watering can
plant pot
weedkiller
Your score:
Learning English: the time
Time for a new Learning English blog! Learn more about how to tell the time and how to answer 'when' questions in English.
Read more
Learning English: Months of the year
Learn how to speak about the months of the year, and give information about important dates. Improve your English with Collins.
Read more
Learning English: Days of the week
Learn how to discuss what happens on different days of the week, whether you want to make plans for the day or talk about weekly routines.
Read more
Learning English: Going shopping
Discover some useful English expressions to use while you're out at the shops in this week's Learning English blog.
Read more
Collins English Dictionary Apps
Download our English Dictionary apps - available for both iOS and Android.
Read more
Collins Dictionaries for Schools
Our new online dictionaries for schools provide a safe and appropriate environment for children. And best of all it's ad free, so sign up now and start using at home or in the classroom.
Read more
Word lists
We have almost 200 lists of words from topics as varied as types of butterflies, jackets, currencies, vegetables and knots!
Amaze your friends with your new-found knowledge!
Read more