Common English prepositions include in, on, at, to, for, with, and by. They help describe location, time, movement, cause, and connections between people or things.
Here are 80 prepositions and prepositional expressions with meanings and sentence examples. Some have several uses, so each entry focuses on one common meaning.
56 Single-Word Prepositions with Meanings and Examples
Single-word prepositions are written as one word. This alphabetical list includes prepositions used in everyday speech and writing.
A–F
| Preposition | Common meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 1. aboard | On or into a ship, aircraft, or other vehicle | The passengers climbed aboard the ferry. |
| 2. about | Concerning a subject | The students asked questions about the exhibition. |
| 3. above | At a higher position than something | A wooden shelf hangs above the radiator. |
| 4. across | From one side to another | A narrow footbridge runs across the stream. |
| 5. after | Later than a time or event | The clinic reopened after lunch. |
| 6. against | Touching or supported by something | A ladder rested against the shed. |
| 7. along | Following the length of something | A footpath runs along the river. |
| 8. alongside | Beside or next to something | A cycle path runs alongside the railway. |
| 9. among | Within a group | One red tulip stood among the yellow ones. |
| 10. around | Surrounding something or positioned on different sides of it | Wooden benches were arranged around the fountain. |
| 11. as | In the role or function of something | She works as an interpreter. |
| 12. at | Identifying a particular location or point | The bus stops at the library. |
| 13. before | Earlier than a time or event | Please return the equipment before Friday. |
| 14. behind | At the back of something | The bicycle was parked behind the shed. |
| 15. below | At a lower level than something | The temperature fell below zero overnight. |
| 16. beneath | Under something | The original tiles remain beneath the carpet. |
| 17. beside | Next to someone or something | A reading lamp stands beside the armchair. |
| 18. besides | In addition to something | Besides the entrance fee, visitors must pay for parking. |
| 19. between | Connecting or separating distinct people or things | Talks between the three schools continued. |
| 20. beyond | Farther than a particular point | The campsite is beyond the old bridge. |
| 21. by | Near or beside something | There’s a bench by the pond. |
| 22. despite | Without being prevented by something | Despite the traffic, we arrived early. |
| 23. down | Toward a lower position or along something | Water rushed down the stairs. |
| 24. during | At some point within a period or event | The alarm rang during the rehearsal. |
| 25. except | Not including someone or something | Everyone signed the card except Maya. |
| 26. for | Intended to benefit or be received by someone | I saved a seat for my sister. |
| 27. from | Identifying a source or starting point | The train from Bristol arrived late. |
I–O
| Preposition | Common meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 28. in | Inside a space or area | The receipt is in the drawer. |
| 29. inside | Within the interior of something | The tickets are inside my jacket pocket. |
| 30. into | Moving from outside to inside | The painter poured the dye into a bucket. |
| 31. like | Similar to something | This cloth feels like silk. |
| 32. near | Close to someone or something | A new clinic opened near the university. |
| 33. of | Showing a connection between things | The lid of the jar was loose. |
| 34. off | Away from or no longer on a surface | The child brushed the sand off her shoes. |
| 35. on | In contact with or supported by a surface | The timetable is on the noticeboard. |
| 36. onto | Moving to a position on a surface | The cat jumped onto the windowsill. |
| 37. opposite | Facing or across from something | The florist is opposite the bakery. |
| 38. outside | Beyond the outer boundary of something | A crowd gathered outside the cinema. |
| 39. over | Above or covering something | A banner hung over the entrance. |
P–W
| Preposition | Common meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 40. past | Beyond a place or point | We drove past the lighthouse. |
| 41. per | For each unit or person | Visitors can borrow three books per visit. |
| 42. since | From a particular starting time | She has lived in Halifax since 2021. |
| 43. through | From one part or side of a space to another, passing within it | The courier walked through the courtyard. |
| 44. throughout | In every part of a place or period | Small lanterns glowed throughout the garden. |
| 45. to | Identifying a destination or recipient | Please send the invitation to Aria. |
| 46. toward | In the direction of something | The cyclist turned toward the harbour. |
| 47. under | At a lower position than something | The passport slipped under the seat. |
| 48. underneath | Directly under something | A label was stuck underneath the bowl. |
| 49. unlike | Different from someone or something | Unlike the original model, this one folds flat. |
| 50. until | Up to a particular time | The shop stays open until eight. |
| 51. up | Toward a higher position or along an upward path | The hikers climbed up the ridge. |
| 52. upon | Immediately after an event, particularly in formal expressions | Upon arrival, guests must report to reception. |
| 53. via | By way of a route or method | The message reached us via the regional office. |
| 54. with | Accompanied by someone or something | She travelled with two colleagues. |
| 55. within | Before the end of a specified period | The parcel should arrive within three days. |
| 56. without | Not having or using something | He left without his umbrella. |
Toward and towards have the same basic meaning. Toward is more common in American English, while towards is more common in British English. They are treated as variants of the same preposition rather than separate entries.
24 Multiword Prepositions and Prepositional Expressions
Some expressions contain two or more words that work together to introduce information about place, time, cause, or other relationships.
These are commonly taught as multiword or compound prepositions, although the grammatical classification of individual expressions can vary.
| Preposition or expression | Common meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| 57. according to | As stated by a person, source, or document | According to the timetable, the ferry leaves at noon. |
| 58. ahead of | In front of or earlier than something | We arrived ahead of the tour group. |
| 59. along with | Together with or in addition to something | She submitted a photograph along with her application. |
| 60. apart from | Except for something | Apart from Sunday, the shop opens every day. |
| 61. as for | Concerning a particular person or subject | As for the tickets, I booked them yesterday. |
| 62. as well as | In addition to someone or something | The course covers pronunciation as well as grammar. |
| 63. away from | At a distance from or moving farther from something | The children moved away from the roadside. |
| 64. because of | For the reason of something | The flight was delayed because of fog. |
| 65. close to | Near someone or something | The new library is close to the railway station. |
| 66. due to | Caused by something | The delay was due to a power failure. |
| 67. except for | Leaving out an exception to a general statement | The room was spotless except for a little dust on the windowsill. |
| 68. in addition to | As well as something else | In addition to coffee, the café serves fresh juice. |
| 69. in case of | If a particular event or situation occurs | In case of fire, use the stairs. |
| 70. in front of | Before or facing something in position | The taxi stopped in front of the theatre. |
| 71. in place of | Replacing someone or something | A temporary bridge was built in place of the damaged one. |
| 72. in spite of | Despite a difficulty or situation | The runners continued in spite of the rain. |
| 73. instead of | As an alternative to something | We used the stairs instead of the lift. |
| 74. next to | Immediately beside something | The printer stands next to the window. |
| 75. on behalf of | Acting for or representing someone | She signed the letter on behalf of the committee. |
| 76. on top of | On the upper surface of something | A suitcase lay on top of the wardrobe. |
| 77. other than | Except for or different from something | I haven’t told anyone other than my sister. |
| 78. out of | Moving or coming from inside something | He took the spare key out of his coat pocket. |
| 79. thanks to | Because of someone or something, often with a positive result | Thanks to an early warning, the residents evacuated safely. |
| 80. up to | Not exceeding a particular amount or number | The room can hold up to 40 people. |
Although most of these expressions are common in everyday English, some, such as on behalf of and due to, also appear frequently in professional or formal writing.
Except and Except For
Both except and except for introduce exclusions, but they do not always fit into sentences in the same way.
Everyone attended except Daniel.
The apartment was perfect except for the noisy heating system.
Except directly excludes Daniel from the group of people who attended. Except for introduces something that qualifies the broader description of the apartment.
In many contexts, both expressions are possible, but except for is particularly natural when making an exception to a general statement.
For a more detailed explanation of multiword expressions, see compound prepositions guide.
Common Prepositions with More Than One Meaning
A preposition may have several meanings, even when its spelling remains the same.
Consider by:
A small cottage stood by the lake.
The documents were delivered by courier.
The first sentence uses by to describe location. The second uses it to identify a method.
For can describe a recipient or a duration:
I bought these flowers for my mother.
We waited for twenty minutes.
Similarly, over can describe position or an amount greater than a particular number:
Dark clouds gathered over the valley.
Over 200 people attended the event.
To understand how prepositions work within sentences, see Prepositions in English guide. For more specific uses, the lessons on prepositions of place and prepositions of direction explain how preposition choice affects meaning.
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