List of English prepositions

This is a list of English prepositions. In English, some prepositions are short, typically containing six letters or fewer. There are, however, a significant number of multi-word prepositions. Throughout the history of the English language, new prepositions have come into use, old ones fallen out of use, and the meaning of existing prepositions has changed. The prepositions generally remain a closed class.

1 Single words
2 Multiple words
3 Archaic or infrequently used
4 Not fully grammaticized
5 Preposition-like modifiers of quantified noun phrases
6 Postpositions
7 References

Single words

a
abaft
aboard
about
above
absent
across
afore
after
against
along
alongside
amid
amidst
among
amongst
an (see "a" for usage in front of consonants)
apropos ("apropos of" is a common derived term)
around
as (also an adverb and a conjunction)

aside
astride
at
athwart
atop
barring
before
behind
below
beneath
beside
besides
between
betwixt
beyond
but
by
circa (sometimes abbreviated as "c." or "ca.")
concerning
despite
down
during

except
excluding
failing
following
for
from
given
in
including
inside
into
lest
like
mid (from "amid". Usually used poetically.)
midst (from "amidst". Usually used poetically.)
minus
modulo
near
next

notwithstanding (also used postpositionally)
of
off
on
onto
opposite
out
outside
over
pace
past
per
plus
pro
qua
regarding
round
sans
save
since
than
through, thru (informal)

throughout, thruout (informal)
till
times
to
toward
towards
under
underneath
unlike
until
up
upon
versus, commonly abbreviated as "vs.", or (principally in law or sports) as "v."
via
vice, meaning "in place of"^[1]
with (sometimes written as "w/")
within (sometimes written as "w/in" or "w/i")
without (sometimes written as "w/o")
worth

Multiple words

Two words

according to
ahead of
apart from
as for
as of
as per
as regards
aside from
back to
because of
close to
due to
except for
far from
in to (contracted as into)
inside of (note that inside out is an adverb, not a preposition)

instead of
left of
near to
next to
on to (contracted as onto)
out from
out of
outside of
owing to
prior to
pursuant to
regardless of
right of
subsequent to
thanks to
that of
where as

Three words

as far as
as well as

Preposition + (article) + noun + preposition

English has a number of idiomatic expressions which act as prepositions, but can be analyzed as a preposition followed by a noun (sometimes preceded by the definite or, occasionally, indefinite article) followed by another preposition.^[2] Common examples include:

by means of
for the sake of
in accordance with
in addition to
in case of
in front of
in lieu of
in order to
in place of
in point of
in spite of
on account of
on behalf of
on top of
with regard to
with respect to
with a view to

Archaic or infrequently used

anent
anti (loan word)
behither
betwixt
chez
cum (Latin loan word)
ere
fornenst^[3]
fornent^[3]
gainst or 'gainst (from against)
neath or 'neath (from beneath)
outwith
pro (loan word)
qua (loan word)
re (loan word)
sans (loan word)
'twixt (from betwixt)
unto (largely supplanted by to; used in some formal, religious, or archaic contexts)
vis-à-vis (loan word)

Not fully grammaticized

concerning
considering
regarding
worth

Preposition-like modifiers of quantified noun phrases

apart from
but
except
plus
save

Postpositions

ago as in "five years ago", sometimes considered an adverb rather than a postposition
apart as in "this apart", also used prepositionally ("apart from this")
aside as in "such examples aside", also used prepositionally ("aside from such examples")
away as in "five light years away", sometimes considered an adverb or an adjective rather than a postposition
hence as in "five years hence", sometimes considered an adverb rather than a postposition
notwithstanding also used prepositionally
on as in "five years on", also used prepositionally
through as in "the whole night through", also used prepositionally
withal archaic as a postposition meaning with

References

^ meaning "See definition 3 definition"
^ Rodney Huddleston, Geoffrey K. Pullum et al. (2002). "chapter 7 §3.1". Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 618–620. ISBN 0-521-43146-8.
^ ^a ^b fornenst definition