What does "without" mean?
Outside, externally.
Without
/wɪðˈaʊt/ adv, conj, prep
adv, conj, prep ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Outside, externally.
- Grammar: without is listed as adv, conj, prep.
- Nearest alternatives: absent, after, apparently, aside from.
- Useful contrasts: ap credit for physics, coastal body of water, crustal displacement along fault.
- Usage evidence: I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you.
How to use "without"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "without" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "without" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "without" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "without" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "without" is acting as adv, conj, prep in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "absent" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "without", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adverb
- 1 Outside, externally. archaic, literary, not-comparable
"And as each and all of them were warmed without by the sun, so each had a private little sun for her soul to bask in; some dream, some affection, some hobby, at least some remote and distant hope which, though perhaps starving to nothing, still lived on, as hopes will."
- 2 Lacking something; failing. not-comparable
"Being from a large, poor family, he learned to live without."
- 3 Without a condom being worn. euphemistic, not-comparable
"“What's within reason?” “Hand-job, blow-job, full sex — straight, full service. Greek, maybe, if you're not too big. Golden shower, if you like, but not reverse. No hardsports. And absolutely nothing without.”"
Preposition
- 1 Outside of, beyond. archaic, literary
"MACBETH: There's blood upon your face. FIRST MURDERER: 'Tis Banquo's then. MACBETH: 'Tis better thee without than he within."
- 2 Not having, containing, characteristic of, etc.
"It was a mistake to leave my house without a coat."
- 3 Not doing or not having done something.
"He likes to eat everything without sharing."
Conjunction
- 1 Unless, except (introducing a clause). archaic, dialectal
"You don't know about me, without you have read a book by the name of "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," but that ain't no matter."
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
ap credit for physicscoastal body of watercrustal displacement along faultdifferent modes of communication
Example
"I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "without"?
Common synonyms include: absent, after, apparently, aside from, bar, barring.
How do you use "without" in a sentence?
I couldn't have done it without you. Thank you.
How do you pronounce "without"?
Pronounced /wɪðˈaʊt/.
Etymology
From Middle English withoute, withouten, from Old English wiþūtan (literally “against the outside of”). Compare Dutch buiten (“outside of, without”), Danish uden (“without”), Swedish utan (“without”), Norwegian uten (“without”). By surface analysis, with- + out. Superseded non-native Middle English sauns, sans (“without”), from Old French sans, sanz, senz (“without”). Compare typologically Proto-Slavic *bez (“without”) (<+ Proto-Indo-European *h₁éǵʰs (“out”)).