without
with the absence, omission, or avoidance of; not with; with no or none of; lacking: without help; without shoes; without her helping me; without him to help.
free from; excluding: a world without hunger.
not accompanied by: Don't go without me.
at, on, or to the outside of; outside of: both within and without the house or the city.
beyond the compass, limits, range, or scope of (now used chiefly in opposition to within): whether within or without the law.
in or into an exterior or outer place; outside.
outside a house, building, etc.: The carriage awaits without.
lacking something implied or understood: We must take this or go without.
as regards the outside; externally.
the outside of a place, region, area, room, etc.
Midland and Southern U.S. unless.
Origin of without
1Words Nearby without
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use without in a sentence
without it, they say, the disease would surely kill her within two years.
Most often, the doctrine is invoked by minors seeking an abortion without parental consent.
The research literature, too, asks these questions, and not without reason.
How Skinny Is Too Skinny? Israel Bans ‘Underweight’ Models | Carrie Arnold | January 8, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThen they came up against a police patrol on mountain bicycles, which again led to more shooting, without injuries.
Police Hunt for Paris Massacre Suspects | Tracy McNicoll, Christopher Dickey | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTI remember all our music appeared on Spotify overnight, without anybody asking us.
He held it, but it was without pressure; without recognizance of the delight with which he once grasped it.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterSol laughed out of his whiskers, with a big, loose-rolling sound, and sat on the porch without waiting to be asked.
The Bondboy | George W. (George Washington) OgdenShe had listened—she had listened intently, looking straight out of the window and without moving.
Confidence | Henry Jameswithout preface, he abruptly asked, what had been told him of the Duke of Wharton's behaviour the preceding night.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4 | Jane PorterNevertheless the evening and the night passed away without incident.
British Dictionary definitions for without
/ (wɪˈðaʊt) /
not having: a traveller without much money
not accompanied by: he came without his wife
not making use of: it is not easy to undo screws without a screwdriver
(foll by a verbal noun or noun phrase) not, while not, or after not: she can sing for two minutes without drawing breath
archaic on the outside of
formal outside; outwardly
not standard unless: don't come without you have some money
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
Other Idioms and Phrases with without
In addition to the idioms beginning with without
- without a leg to stand on
- without a stitch on
- without batting an eye
- without doubt
- without fail
- without further ado
- without question
- without so much as
also see:
- absent without leave
- do without
- get along without
- go without saying
- no smoke without fire
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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