without

American  

[with-aut, with-] / wɪðˈaʊt, wɪθ- /

preposition

1. 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.

2. free from; excluding.

   a world without hunger.

3. not accompanied by.

   Don't go without me.

4. at, on, or to the outside of; outside of.

   both within and without the house or the city.

5. beyond the compass, limits, range, or scope of (now used chiefly in opposition towithin ).

   whether within or without the law.

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adverb

1. in or into an exterior or outer place; outside.

2. outside a house, building, etc..

   The carriage awaits without.

3. lacking something implied or understood.

   We must take this or go without.

4. as regards the outside; externally.

noun

1. the outside of a place, region, area, room, etc.

conjunction

1. Midland and Southern U.S. unless.

without British  

/ wɪˈðaʊt /

preposition

1. not having

   a traveller without much money

2. not accompanied by

   he came without his wife

3. not making use of

   it is not easy to undo screws without a screwdriver

4. (foll by a verbal noun or noun phrase) not, while not, or after not

   she can sing for two minutes without drawing breath

5. archaic on the outside of

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adverb

1. formal outside; outwardly

conjunction

1. not_standard unless

   don't come without you have some money

without Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing without

• absent without leave
• do without
• get along without
• go without saying
• no smoke without fire

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Etymology

Origin of without

First recorded before 900; Middle English withouten, Old English withūtan (adverb and preposition); equivalent to with + out

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

without

King Charles III was left drenched and without an umbrella when a torrential downpour interrupted celebrations of Antigua and Barbuda's independence day on Sunday.

From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026

“I think it’s possible to engineer safety by default, and get many of the incredible benefits of this technology, without going down this treacherous path,” Suleyman wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

“You Can See Everything” repeatedly inches right up to the line of suggesting Fielder or Holmes are neurodivergent in some way without overtly saying it.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 2026

Since the war began, Iran has claimed control over the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy conduit, and repeatedly targeted vessels attempting to cross without its authorisation.

From Barron's ● Nov. 1, 2026

To catch it, you must be part of the 5 percent of the population without immunity, and you must be in prolonged physical contact with someone who is sick.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

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