preposition

¹ American  

[prep-uh-zish-uhn] / ˌprɛp əˈzɪʃ ən /

noun

Grammar.

1. any member of a class of words found in many languages that are used before nouns, pronouns, or other substantives to form phrases functioning as modifiers of verbs, nouns, or adjectives, and that typically express a spatial, temporal, or other relationship, as in, on, by, to, since.

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preposition ² American  

[pree-puh-zish-uhn] / ˌpri pəˈzɪʃ ən /

Or pre-position

verb (used with object)

1. to position in advance or beforehand.

   to preposition troops in anticipated trouble spots.

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preposition British  

/ ˌprɛpəˈzɪʃən /

noun

1.  prep.  a word or group of words used before a noun or pronoun to relate it grammatically or semantically to some other constituent of a sentence

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preposition Cultural  

1. A part of speech that indicates the relationship, often spatial, of one word to another. For example, “She paused at the gate”; “This tomato is ripe for picking”; and “They talked the matter over head to head.” Some common prepositions are at, by, for, from, in, into, on, to, and with.

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Grammar

The often heard but misleading “rule” that a sentence should not end with a preposition is transferred from Latin, where it is an accurate description of practice. But English grammar is different from Latin grammar, and the rule does not fit English. In speech, the final preposition is normal and idiomatic, especially in questions: What are we waiting for? Where did he come from? You didn't tell me which floor you worked on. In writing, the problem of placing the preposition arises most when a sentence ends with a relative clause in which the relative pronoun ( that; whom; which; whomever; whichever; whomsoever ) is the object of a preposition. In edited writing, especially more formal writing, when a pronoun other than that introduces a final relative clause, the preposition usually precedes its object: He abandoned the project to which he had devoted his whole life. I finally telephoned the representative with whom I had been corresponding. If the pronoun is that, which cannot be preceded by a preposition, or if the pronoun is omitted, then the preposition must occur at the end: The librarian found the books that the child had scribbled in. There is the woman he spoke of.

Usage

What is a preposition? Prepositions are a category of words that are placed before nouns and pronouns to create phrases that modify nouns, verbs, or adjectives. A preposition is the first part of a prepositional phrase. The preposition is followed by an object, such as a noun or pronoun, as in outside the house. Prepositional phrases indicate a relationship between words in a sentence. For example, in I exercised after dinner, after is the preposition in the prepositional phrase after dinner. Together, after and dinner tell you more about (modify) the verb exercised. They tell you when I exercised. Prepositions and prepositional phrases are used to begin phrases that modify nouns, verbs, and adjectives. While they often follow the words they modify, but they have to, Before supper, I washed my hands. Before is modifying washed, describing when I washed my hands.

Other Word Forms

• nonprepositional adjective
• nonprepositionally adverb
• prepositional adjective
• prepositionally adverb
• quasi-prepositional adjective
• quasi-prepositionally adverb

Etymology

Origin of preposition¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English preposicioun, from Latin praepositiōn-, stem of praepositiō “a putting before, a prefix, preposition”; pre-, position

Origin of preposition²

First recorded in 1960–65; pre- + position

Explanation

A preposition is the part of speech that shows a relationship between words. Think of “anywhere a cat can go.” A cat can go “under” the table, “on” the bed, or “out” the door. Looking for a cat? Use a preposition. In the sentence "The car went careening into the ditch," the preposition is into: it's the word that points to the noun. "We love to chase kids around the carnival in our scary clown costumes" has two prepositions, around and in. They tell you where things are happening. The most common prepositions are of, to, in, for, on, with, as, by, at, and from.

Example Sentences

AI systems are increasingly used to predict order density by neighborhood and time of day, allowing companies to preposition inventory closer to consumers and reduce redundant trips.

From Barron's • Feb. 1, 2026

The city’s fire department said it is planning to preposition resources throughout the city and has added a new crew of 26 full-time firefighters focused on wildfires.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 19, 2025

USDA’s Farm Service Agency will by agricultural companies and cooperatives that preposition containers filled with American-grown commodities $200 per dry container and $400 per refrigerated container to offset costs.

From Seattle Times • Mar. 18, 2022

In her dissent, Branch made the bizarre argument that Congress did not limit sovereign immunity because it used the wrong preposition.

From Slate • Feb. 4, 2020

Many Prussian nobles had the preposition von before their last name to signify “of” or “from.”

From "Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys