WITHOUT | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary
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English (US)

Meaning of without in English

without
preposition, adverb
us
/wɪˈðaʊt/ uk
/wɪˈðaʊt/
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A2
not having or doing something, or lacking something:
I left without my umbrella.
You look nice without makeup.
He went without my knowledge.
I couldn't have done it without you.
She's strong without being bossy.
It's OK to start without me.
formal He's not without (= he does have some) good qualities.
This is without a doubt (= certainly) the best Chinese food I've ever had.
You shouldn't drive for more than three hours without taking a break.
Without wanting to be rude (= I don't want to be rude, but), don't you think you need a haircut?
See also
do without (something)
go without (something)
More examplesFewer examples
SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases
Lacking things
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Grammar

Without
The preposition without means ‘not having something’ or ‘lacking something’: …
(Definition of without from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

without | Intermediate English

without
preposition, adverb [ not gradable ]
us
/wɪθˈɑʊt, wɪð-/
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not having or doing (something), or not having the use or help of (someone or something):
He came out without a coat.
He looks younger without the moustache.
Thanks for your help – I couldn’t have done it without you.
You shouldn’t drive for more than three hours without taking a break.
That was without (a) doubt/without question (= certainly) the best vacation I’ve ever had.
When you have no money, you just have to learn to do without.

Idioms

without fail
without further ado
(Definition of without from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of without

without
He lived another forty years without ever writing another opera.
From NPR
We're really excited to be making that, but at the same time, we want to do that without doing that.
From Huffington Post
Her life history also shows that living without fear can be dangerous, they said.
From Huffington Post
A good cover tells you what kind of book it is - without giving too much away.
From CBS News
Well if you live without credit, don't expect to get credit.
From Huffington Post
Want to experience it without breaking the bank?
From Dallas Morning News
He was the guy we could not play without.
From Minneapolis Star Tribune
Everything worth doing that's difficult gets lost without it.
From Huffington Post
I can't even make a fire without a lighter.
From Slate Magazine
She said she was just trying to figure out how to move on without him.
From Dallas Morning News
Without public schools, people like me would never make it!
From CNN
This way it won't take off without you.
From The Verge
Without education, you can't get anywhere in this world.
From CNN
The developing world will likely be just fine without them.
From Huffington Post
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
What is the pronunciation of without?
 

Translations of without

in Chinese (Traditional)
沒有, 無, 缺少…
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in Chinese (Simplified)
没有, 无, 缺少…
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in Spanish
sin…
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in Portuguese
sem…
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in more languages
in Marathi
in Japanese
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in Italian
शिवाय /व्यतिरिक्त - एखादी गोष्ट नसणे किंवा न करणे किंवा कमतरता असणे.…
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～なしで（に）, ～（し）ないで, （人）抜きで…
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...sız/siz, ...sızın/sizin, ...madan/maksızın…
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sans…
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sense…
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zonder…
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இல்லை அல்லது ஏதாவது செய்து, அல்லது ஏதாவது குறை…
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बिना, बगैर…
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__ના વિના, સિવાય, બહાર…
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uden…
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utan…
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tanpa…
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ohne…
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uten, uten å…
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بغیر…
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без, без того, щоб…
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без, не делая чего-либо…
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ఏదైనా లేకుండా లేక చేయకుండా, లేదా ఏదైనా లోటు ఉండడం…
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بِدون, مِن غَيْر…
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ছাড়া / বাদে…
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bez, aniž…
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tanpa…
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โดยไม่มี…
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không có cái gì, mà không…
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bez, nie…
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-없이, (사람)-없이…
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senza…
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within striking distance idiom
within the capacity of someone/something
within your memory idiom
within your rights phrase
without
without (a) doubt phrase
without (so much as) a backward glance idiom
without a care in the world idiom
without a murmur idiom
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