de

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

preposition

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

Origin of de

From French, Portuguese, Spanish, from Latin dē

Other definitions for de' (2 of 5)

de'

[ duh; Italian de ]

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-

⁴

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 D.E. (5 of 5)

D.E.

abbreviation

Doctor of Engineering.
driver education.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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 | THE 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 | THE 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 | THE 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 | THE 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 | THE 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 origin: Simon de Montfort; D'Arcy; de la Mare

Origin of 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 specified: deforest; dethrone
reversal of something: decode; decompose; desegregate

departure from: decamp

Origin of de-

⁴

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

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