de

[ duh; French duh; Spanish de; Portuguese di ]

/ də; French də; Spanish dɛ; Portuguese dɪ /

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preposition

from; of (used in French, Spanish, and Portuguese personal names, originally to indicate place of origin): Comte de Rochambeau; Don Ricardo de Aragón.

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Origin of de

<French, Spanish, Portuguese <Latin dē

Other definitions for de (2 of 5)

de'

[ duh; Italian de ]

/ də; Italian dɛ /

preposition

dei (used in Italian names as an elided form of dei): de' Medici.

Other definitions for de (3 of 5)

abbreviation

Delaware (approved especially for use with zip code).

destroyer escort.

Other definitions for de (4 of 5)

de-

a prefix occurring in loanwords from Latin (decide); also used to indicate privation, removal, and separation (dehumidify), negation (demerit; derange), descent (degrade; deduce), reversal (detract), intensity (decompound).Compare di-², dis-¹.

Origin of de-

Middle English <Latin dē-, prefixal use of dē (preposition) from, away from, of, out of; in some words, <French <Latin dē- or dis-dis-¹

Other definitions for de (5 of 5)

D.E.

abbreviation

Doctor of Engineering.

driver education.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use de in a sentence

In the last year, her fusion exercise class has attracted a cult following and become de rigueur among the celebrity set.
How Taryn Toomey’s ‘The Class’ Became New York’s Latest Fitness Craze|Lizzie Crocker|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They tried to continue their getaway but had to quickly abandon their vehicle on the Rue de Meaux in the 19th.
Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects|Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Humans spent a long time domesticating cattle, and what they were trying to do, in essence, was de-domesticate them.
‘Nazi Cows’ Tried to Kill British Farmer|Tom Sykes|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The band was still on its way back as De Blasio and his wife departed.
Funeral Protest Is Too Much for NYPD Union Boss|Michael Daly|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Yet even after the funeral protest, de Blasio was booed and heckled while addressing a new class of recruits as well.
We Need Our Police to Be Better Than This|Nick Gillespie|December 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Madame de Condillac stood watching him, her face composed, her glance cold.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Then the door opened, the portiere was swept aside, and Anselme announced "Monsieur de Garnache."
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
San Antonio de Bexar lies in a fertile and well-irrigated valley, stretching westward from the river Salado.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
One evening, while he was thus engaged, he observed de Patinos and Duke Wharton enter together.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Without any known cause of offence, a tacit acknowledgement of mutual dislike was shewn by Louis and de Patinos.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

British Dictionary definitions for de (1 of 4)

de¹

De, before a vowel d' or before a vowel D'

/ (də) /

of; from: occurring as part of some personal names and originally indicating place of originSimon de Montfort; D'Arcy; de la Mare

Word Origin for de

from Latin dē; see de-

British Dictionary definitions for de (2 of 4)

de²

the internet domain name for

Germany

British Dictionary definitions for de (3 of 4)

abbreviation for

(formerly in Britain) Department of Employment

Delaware

British Dictionary definitions for de (4 of 4)

de-

prefix forming verbs and verbal derivatives

removal of or from something specifieddeforest; dethrone

reversal of somethingdecode; decompose; desegregate

departure fromdecamp

Word Origin for de-

from Latin, from dē (prep) from, away from, out of, etc. In compound words of Latin origin, de- also means away, away from (decease); down (degrade); reversal (detect); removal (defoliate); and is used intensively (devote) and pejoratively (detest)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012