100+ Prepositions List in English: Meaning, Types, and Examples

Preposition

Meaning

Example

about

Concerning or relating to

She read a book about astronomy.

above

Higher than something

The clouds floated above the mountains.

across

From one side to the other

They swam across the river.

after

Following in time or order

We met after the lecture.

against

In opposition to; in contact with

He leaned against the wall.

along

Moving beside or parallel to

We walked along the riverside.

among

Surrounded by a group

She was among the top scorers.

around

On every side of

Children gathered around the teacher.

as

In the role or capacity of

She works as a research analyst.

at

A specific point in time or place

The meeting begins at 10 a.m.

before

Earlier than; in front of

Submit the assignment before Friday.

behind

At the back of

He stood behind the podium.

below

Lower than

The temperature dropped below zero.

beneath

Under or lower than

The cave lies beneath the hill.

beside

Next to; at the side of

She sat beside her professor.

between

In the middle of two things

The library is between two buildings.

beyond

Further than; past a limit

His knowledge extended beyond the syllabus.

by

Near; not later than; done through

The report must be submitted by Monday.

despite

Without being affected by

Despite the rain, the event continued.

down

From higher to lower

The water flowed down the slope.

during

Throughout the course of

She remained silent during the debate.

except

Not including; other than

All students passed, except two.

for

Intended for; in exchange for

She studied hard for the examination.

from

Indicating origin or starting point

He graduated from Oxford University.

in

Inside; within a place or period

The results will be announced in January.

inside

Within the interior of

Please remain inside the examination hall.

into

Movement from outside to inside

The researcher looked into the matter.

like

Similar to the manner of

She speaks like a native speaker.

near

Close in distance

The hostel is near the campus.

of

Belonging to; made from

The results of the experiment were remarkable.

off

Away from; detached from

He took a day off from his studies.

on

On a surface, on a specific day

The conference is on Wednesday.

onto

Moving to a surface or position

The cat jumped onto the shelf.

opposite

Directly facing something

His office is opposite the library.

out

Away from the inside

He stepped out of the classroom.

outside

Beyond the boundary of

Please wait outside the examination room.

over

Above; covering; more than

She scored over ninety percent.

past

Beyond: after a particular point

She walked past the notice board.

since

From a point in time until now

He has been studying since morning.

through

From one side to the other

They drove through the tunnel.

till / until

Up to a point in time

Wait until the results are declared.

to

Towards: indicating destination

She presented her thesis to the committee.

towards

In the direction of

Progress towards the deadline was steady.

under

Below, less than

Children under five are exempt.

underneath

Directly below something

The notes were kept underneath the book.

unlike

Different from

Unlike his peers, he preferred research.

up

Toward a higher place

She climbed up the academic ladder.

upon

On, immediately after

Upon receiving the letter, he responded.

via

By way of, through

The data was sent via email.

with

Accompanied by; using

She solved the problem with great skill.

within

Inside the limits of

Submit within the stipulated time.

without

Not having; lacking

He completed the task without any help.

Complex Preposition

Meaning

Example

according to

As stated by, in accordance with

According to the syllabus, three chapters are compulsory.

ahead of

Before; in advance of

She finished the project ahead of schedule.

apart from

Other than, in addition to

Apart from grammar, vocabulary is also tested.

as well as

In addition to

The course covers writing as well as speaking.

because of

Due to, as a result of

Classes were postponed because of the examination.

due to

Caused by

The delay was due to administrative issues.

except for

With the exclusion of

Except for one chapter, the content was familiar.

in addition to

Besides, along with

In addition to lectures, seminars are held weekly.

in front of

Directly before something

He presented his argument in front of the panel.

in lieu of

Instead of

An oral test was conducted in lieu of the written exam.

in place of

As a substitute for

She submitted a summary in place of the full report.

in spite of

Despite; regardless of

In spite of difficulties, she maintained her grades.

instead of

In place of, as an alternative

Instead of borrowing, she purchased the textbook.

on account of

Because of / For the reason of

The event was rescheduled on account of weather.

on behalf of

As a representative of

He accepted the award on behalf of the team.

on top of

In addition to the above

On top of coursework, she mentored junior students.

out of

From the inside of, beyond

She scored full marks out of a hundred.

owing to

Because of / As a result of

Owing to her dedication, she secured first rank.

thanks to

As a result of (positive)

Thanks to her preparation, she cleared the exam.

up to

As many as, until

Students can attempt up to three questions.