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Synonyms

ex

1 American  
[eks] / ɛks /

preposition

  1. Finance. without, not including, or without the right to have.

    ex interest; ex rights.

  2. Commerce. free of charges to the purchaser until the time of removal from a specified place or thing.

    ex ship; ex warehouse; ex elevator.

  3. (in U.S. colleges and universities) from, but not graduated with, the class of.

    ex '47.
ex 2 American  
[eks] / ɛks /

noun

Informal.

  1. a former spouse or a former partner in a long-term romantic relationship; ex-wife, ex-husband, or ex-lover.

ex 3 American  
[eks] / ɛks /

noun

  1. the letter X, x.

ex 4 American  
[eks] / ɛks /

adjective

Slang.

  1. excellent.

EX 5 American  

abbreviation

  1. Biology, Ecology. extinct.

ex- 6 American  

  1. a prefix meaning “out of,” “from,” and hence “utterly,” “thoroughly,” and sometimes meaning “not” or “without” or indicating a former title, status, etc.; freely used as an English formative: exstipulate; exterritorial; ex-president (former president); ex-member; ex-wife .

ex- 7 American  

  1. variant of exo-.

ex- 8 American  

  1. a prefix identical in meaning with ex- 1, occurring before vowels in words of Greek origin: exarch; exegesis .

ex. 9 American  

abbreviation

  1. examination.

  2. examined.

  3. example.

  4. except.

  5. exception.

  6. exchange.

  7. excursion.

  8. executed.

  9. executive.

  10. express.

  11. extra.

Ex. 10 American  

abbreviation

Bible.

  1. Exodus.

ex- 1 British  

prefix

  1. out of; outside of; from

    exclosure

    exurbia

  2. former

    ex-wife
"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
ex 2 British  
/ ɛks /

preposition

  1. finance not participating in; excluding; without

    ex bonus

    ex dividend

    ex rights

  2. commerce without charge to the buyer until removed from

    ex quay

    ex ship

    ex works
"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
ex 3 British  
/ ɛks /

noun

  1. informal (a person's) former wife, husband, etc

  2. short for examination

"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
Ex. 4 British  

abbreviation

  1. Exodus

"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
ex- 5 British  

combining form

  1. a variant of exo-

    exergonic
"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

Etymology

Origin of ex1

First recorded in 1835–45; from Latin; ex- 1

Origin of ex2

First recorded in 1820–30; by shortening

Origin of ex4

First recorded in 1920–25; by shortening

Origin of ex-6

< Latin, combining form of ex, ē (preposition) out (of ), from, beyond

Origin of ex-8

From Greek combining form of ex, ek, “out (of), from, beyond”; ec-, ex- 1

Vocabulary lists containing ex

Scrabble: Two-Letter Words

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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.

Another dealt with someone breaking up with them to get back with their ex, only to come crawling back.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026

A future bandmate’s ex had one of her songs on a playlist, having no idea it was Small.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

On his return to south Wales he was arrested on suspicion of kidnap when he described Veisi as his carer rather than his ex wife.

From BBC • Mar. 13, 2026

She responded, again, that she could not talk with him ex parte.

From Slate • Mar. 11, 2026

It was creatio ex nihilo, despite the Aristotelian ban on the vacuum.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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.