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DictionaryRoot: wið
Old English

wið

against, toward, or near

Forms

  • wið
  • with — The old letter ð was replaced by th.

Origin

An inherited Germanic relationship word.

Note

Its older opposing sense survives in some compounds, while the modern independent word usually expresses company.

4 / 5
preposition

without

wih-THOWT/wɪˈðaʊt/

lacking or not accompanied by something

The child arrives at the picnic without a lunchbox.

A child joins a picnic table empty-handed while everyone else has a lunchbox, making the child clearly not accompanied by that item.
Etymology
withOld Englishagainst, toward, or near
+outOld Englishout or outside

“Against the outside” originally described being outside something. The meaning shifted from external position to absence or lack, giving the sense of not having something.

In context

Jennifer 8. Lee11:51
but without a centralized headquarters.
Jennifer 8. Lee: Who was General Tso? and other mysteries of
Michael Bodekaer9:15
works on iPads and laptops without the headsets.
This virtual lab will revolutionize science class | Michael Bodekaer

More examples

  • We managed without a car.
  • She smiled without saying anything.
  • Coffee tastes fine without sugar.

Forms

without