sans
preposition
sans
1 American
[sanz, sahn ]
/ sænz, sɑ̃ /
preposition
Sans.
2
American
abbreviation
Sans.
1
British
abbreviation
sans
2
British
/ sænz /
preposition
Etymology
Origin of sans
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English, from Old French sans, earlier sens, seinz, a conflation of Latin sine “without” and absentiā “in the absence of” (ablative of absentia absence )
Explanation
If you have a friend who hates onions, chances are they order their food at restaurants sans onions — meaning without them. The word sans comes from the French word that means "without." People often use sans in a playful manner or when they want to sound fancy. For example, someone might say, "I'll take my coffee sans cream," to mean they don't want cream. It just sounds a bit more sophisticated.
Vocabulary lists containing sans
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.
Over the weekend, he canceled plans for his son-in-law Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, a real-estate buddy who lacks any professional diplomatic experience, to resume the discussions sans Vance.
From Slate • May 1, 2026
Ortiz is a trained actor and has occasionally appeared on camera as himself, sans puppets.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 7, 2026
Salon Food spoke with Chef Stephen Chavez, Senior Chef-Instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education’s Los Angeles campus, who offered his go-to tips on how to cook sans any chopped onions.
From Salon • Feb. 26, 2026
Major works like “Le Marteau sans Maître,” “Pli Selon Pli,” “. . . Explosante-Fixe. . . ” and the Second Piano Sonata are naturally included, but so are lesser-known pieces.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
Two years later Messner silenced all doubters, moreover, by traveling to the Tibetan side of Everest and making another ascent sans gas—this time entirely alone, without the support of Sherpas or anybody else.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
