preposition: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
MediumFormal, Academic, Educational
Quick answer
What does “preposition” mean?
A word (e.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A word (e.g., 'in', 'on', 'to') placed before a noun, pronoun, or gerund to indicate location, time, direction, or a relationship between objects.
In grammar, a function word that creates a prepositional phrase to modify another word in the sentence; in more general contexts, it can describe an action of placing something before or in a position.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. Both varieties share the same grammatical definition and core usage. The rare verb usage ('to preposition' meaning to place strategically) is slightly more common in American corporate/military jargon.
Connotations
Neutral grammatical term in both varieties. The verb form has a technical, strategic connotation, especially in US English.
Frequency
Similar high frequency in educational/grammar contexts. The word itself is more frequently used by learners and teachers than in general conversation.
Grammar
How to Use “preposition” in a Sentence
[PREPOSITION] + [NOUN PHRASE] (forming a prepositional phrase)[VERB] + [PREPOSITION] (forming a phrasal verb or prepositional verb)Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “preposition” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The general ordered to preposition troops along the border.
- The charity prepositions aid where it's needed most.
American English
- The company pre-positioned assets ahead of the merger.
- Logistics teams preposition supplies for disaster relief.
adverb
British English
- This is rarely used. One could say 'He spoke prepositionally' to mean 'in terms of prepositions', but it's highly technical and non-standard.
American English
- This is rarely used. One could say 'He spoke prepositionally' to mean 'in terms of prepositions', but it's highly technical and non-standard.
adjective
British English
- The prepositional phrase modifies the noun.
- His analysis of the prepositional use was thorough.
American English
- We reviewed the prepositional rules in class.
- The manual covers prepositional objects in detail.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
In verb form: 'We need to preposition supplies before the storm.' (US military/logistics jargon).
Academic
Central term in linguistic and grammatical analysis: 'The syntactic role of the preposition was debated.'
Everyday
Common in language learning contexts: 'I always mix up the prepositions 'in' and 'on'.'
Technical
In computing/linguistics: 'The parser identifies the head of the prepositional phrase.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “preposition”
Neutral
Weak
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “preposition”
- Misplacing the preposition in a sentence: 'She is depending of you.' (correct: 'depending on').
- Using the wrong preposition after an adjective: 'good in maths' (correct: 'good at maths').
- Doubling prepositions: 'Where is it at?' (colloquial, but considered redundant in formal writing).
- Omitting the preposition where required: 'We discussed about the plan.' (correct: 'discussed the plan' or 'talked about the plan').
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, this is a myth based on overly strict Latin-based grammar rules. In modern English, especially in informal writing and speech, it is perfectly acceptable (e.g., 'This is the room I told you about.'). Avoiding it can sometimes make sentences sound awkward.
It is the noun, pronoun, or gerund that follows the preposition and completes the prepositional phrase. In 'under the bridge', 'the bridge' is the object of the preposition 'under'.
Yes. Multi-word units like 'according to', 'in front of', 'because of', and 'on top of' function as complex prepositions.
There are about 70-100 common single-word prepositions (e.g., at, by, for, in, of, on, to, with), plus many more complex (multi-word) prepositions. It's more useful to learn their usage patterns than to try to memorise a complete list.
A word (e.
Preposition is usually formal, academic, educational in register.
Preposition: in British English it is pronounced /ˌprɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌprɛp.əˈzɪʃ.ən/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Preposition at the end (referring to the disputed grammatical construction)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
A PREPOSITION is a word you can POSITION before a noun, like a PRE-game show.
Conceptual Metaphor
BRIDGE (It connects two parts of a sentence, creating a path or relationship). CONTAINER (Prepositional phrases often delimit space or conceptual containers: 'in the box', 'on the topic').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT a common function of a preposition?