Preposition Meaning
/ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/Definition, CEFR level B1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounAny of a class of non-inflecting words and multiword terms typically employed to connect a following noun or a pronoun, in an adjectival or adverbial sense, with some other word: a particle used with a noun or pronoun (in English always in the objective case) to make a phrase limiting some other word.
nounAn adposition.
Sentence Examples
You can omit the preposition in this phrase.
However, the preposition+relative pronoun (which) part becomes a relative adverb (where).
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the sentence 'The cat slept under the bed,' 'under' is an example of a ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The word 'under' is a ____ that shows the relationship between the cat and the table.
Word Origin & History
From Middle English preposicioun, from Old French preposicion, from Latin praepositio, praepositionem, from praepono (“to place before”), equivalent to pre- + position. Compare French préposition. So called because it is placed before the word with which it is phrased, as in a bridge of iron, he comes from town, it is good for food, he escaped by running.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"322. The parts of speech which are neither declined nor conjugated, are called by the general name of particles. 323. They are adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections."
— 1844, E. A. Andrews, First Lessions in Latin; or Introduction to Andrews and Stoddard's Latin Grammar, 6th edition, Boston, page 91:
"And in (121) below, we see that when a wh-NP is used as the Object of a Preposition, the whole Prepositional Phrase can undergo WH MOVEMENT:
(121) (a) [To whom] can I send this letter —?
(121) (b) [About what] are they quarrelling —?
(121) (c) [In which book] did you read about it —?"
— 1988, Andrew Radford, chapter 9, in Transformational grammar: a first course, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, page 495:
"I love this girl. “On which I can get my hands” — even in her darkest moment, she cannot bring herself to end a sentence with a preposition."
— 2014 June 1, “Net Neutrality”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 1, episode 5, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:
"[…] he made a longe preposicion & oracion cōcernynge yͤ allegiaūce which he exortyd his lordes to owe"
— 1811 [1516], Robert Fabyan, edited by Sir Henry Ellis, The New Chronicles of England and France, page 116:
Explore More B1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
In the sentence 'The cat slept under the bed,' 'under' is an example of a ____.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The word 'under' is a ____ that shows the relationship between the cat and the table.