with
1 Americanpreposition
-
accompanied by; accompanying.
I will go with you. He fought with his brother against the enemy.
-
in some particular relation to (especially implying interaction, company, association, conjunction, or connection).
I dealt with the problem. She agreed with me.
-
characterized by or having.
a person with initiative.
-
(of means or instrument) by the use of; using.
to line a coat with silk; to cut with a knife.
-
(of manner) using or showing.
to work with diligence.
-
in correspondence, comparison, or proportion to.
Their power increased with their number. How does their plan compare with ours?
-
in regard to.
to be pleased with a gift.
-
(of cause) owing to.
to die with pneumonia; to pale with fear.
-
in the region, sphere, or view of.
It is day with us while it is night with the Chinese.
-
(of separation) from.
to part with a thing.
-
against, as in opposition or competition.
He fought with his brother over the inheritance.
-
in the keeping or service of.
to leave something with a friend.
-
in affecting the judgment, estimation, or consideration of.
Her argument carried a lot of weight with the trustees.
-
at the same time as or immediately after; upon.
And with that last remark, she turned and left.
-
of the same opinion or conviction as.
Are you with me or against me?
-
in proximity to or in the same household as.
He lives with his parents.
-
(used as a function word to specify an additional circumstance or condition).
We climbed the hill, with Jeff following behind.
preposition
-
using; by means of
he killed her with an axe
-
accompanying; in the company of
the lady you were with
-
possessing; having
a man with a red moustache
-
concerning or regarding
be patient with her
-
in spite of
with all his talents, he was still humble
-
used to indicate a time or distance by which something is away from something else
with three miles to go, he collapsed
-
in a manner characterized by
writing with abandon
-
caused or prompted by
shaking with rage
-
often used with a verb indicating a reciprocal action or relation between the subject and the preposition's object
agreeing with me
chatting with the troops
-
informal not able to grasp or follow what you are saying
-
informal
-
fashionable; in style
-
comprehending what is happening or being said
-
-
after that; having said or done that
Usage
What does with- mean? With- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “separation from” or "against." It is occasionally used in a variety of everyday terms. With- comes from Old English with, meaning “away,” “against,” or "refuse," the very same with which eventually, and surprisingly, evolved in meaning into its current sense of “together, accompanied” in present-day English. The Latin equivalent of with is contrā, meaning “against,” which is the source of English terms such as contradict and contravene. To learn more, check out our entries for both words.
Synonym Usage
See by.
Etymology
Origin of with1
First recorded before 900; Middle English, Old English: “opposite, against” (cognate with Old Norse vith ), apparently short variant of Old English wither “against”; cognate with Old Saxon withar, Old High German widar, Old Norse vithr, Gothic withra
Origin of with-2
Middle English, Old English. See with
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
That petition explicitly tied the demand to Reiner’s looming murder trial, saying he was entitled to “mount his defense with the resources that are lawfully his own.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 16, 2026
Pocognoli's prior experience of working as a youth coach at international level with Belgium would have ticked another box for the SFA.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Clarke was emphatic in his exit interview with the SFA, saying the core he developed over his seven-year spell is "not finished yet".
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
That metric gauges how likely chances are to result in goals, taking into account a range of variables, and Arsenal finished with almost three times the xG total of City.
From BBC ● Aug. 16, 2026
Father Fred Julien, a Jesuit priest from New York, is on board, along with many others.
From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly
![]()
It’s like “She’s awkward! She was awkward before, you were OK with- Awkward’s taken!”
From Slate ● Aug. 30, 2017
I work, and work, and work with- out end; I am busy, and busy, and busy at all time.
From Scientific American ● Jun. 19, 2013
Most government bonds held by insurers back so-called with- profits life policies in which the customers and sellers share any gains or losses on their investments.
From BusinessWeek ● Oct. 28, 2011
John Corbin: "The production, designed by Rollo Peters, is heavy with- out being particularly impressive, being small compensation for the very considerable entr'acte pauses."
From Time Magazine Archive
![]()
If I can complete the volcano with- out anyone catching me, I will be free and the world will be saved.
From "The Queen of Water" by Laura Resau
![]()
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.