prepositional verb

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noun Grammar.

a combination of verb and preposition, often with idiomatic meaning, differing from other phrasal verbs in that an object must always follow the preposition, as take after in The children take after their mother.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

true

false

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Compare phrasal verb.

Origin of prepositional verb

First recorded in 1960–65

Words nearby prepositional verb

prepone, preportion, prepose, preposition, prepositional phrase, prepositional verb, prepositive, prepositor, prepossess, prepossessing, prepossession

How to use prepositional verb in a sentence

Thus the adoption of any particular verb is a matter of taste, not a question of absolute correctness.
Go Ahead, End With a Preposition: Grammar Rules We All Can Live With|Nick Romeo|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The term “gestation,” for instance, is derived from the Latin verb gestāre, used to describe a mammal carrying a burden.
The Artificial Womb Will Change Feminism Forever|Samantha Allen|August 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
As with any emergent technology where an action is involved, the brand becomes the verb.
The Zen of Yo|Dale Eisinger|August 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The verb shovel is not a figure of speech; a garden shovel actually is used to serve the oysters.
A Briny, South Carolina Oyster Shack|Jane & Michael Stern|March 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST

Their Dutch nickname, putterje, comes from the verb putten, meaning to draw water from a well.
Face to Face With ‘The Goldfinch,’ the Painting from Donna Tartt’s Novel|Malcolm Jones|December 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The verb (—) in the Hebrew, when connected with the name of God in different other passages, has the same import.
The Ordinance of Covenanting|John Cunningham
Here ends Chaucer's portion of the translation, in the middle of an incomplete sentence, without any verb.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Observe that the word Christus has no verb following it; it is practically an objective case, governed by thanke in l. 168. '
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Both in the present passage and in the Pardoner's Prologue the verb to erme is used with the same sb., viz.
Chaucer's Works, Volume 1 (of 7) -- Romaunt of the Rose; Minor Poems|Geoffrey Chaucer
Ethel could not help saying, "How did you find out the meaning of that word, Tom, if you didn't look out the verb?"
The Daisy Chain|Charlotte Yonge