without

without
without
1. Unlike the corresponding physical meaning of within (= inside), the original meaning of without, ‘outside’ (preposition and adverb), is no longer much used, although it will be familiar from literary contexts

• (There is a green hill far away, Without a city wall —Cecil Frances Alexander, 1848

• The throng without was…becoming more numerous and more savage —Macaulay, 1849).

The primary current uses are in the sense ‘lacking, not having’ (I came without an umbrella) and governing verbal nouns (She left without saying anything).
2. Also defunct is the use of without as a conjunction meaning ‘unless’, ‘except when’, although it still occurs in regional or dialect use and will be found occasionally in modern fiction:

• I can truthfully say he never sat an exam without he was bad with his asthma —Pat Barker, 1991.

3.

• How'd you like to make yourself a passel [= parcel] of money without hardly havin' to do any work? —D. Westheimer, 1973.

The use of without + hardly, which is a combination of a negative and an implied negative, is non-standard. The standard expression is almost without (or in some contexts, with hardly:

• His eyes flickered to left and right, with hardly a turn of the head —T. Barnes, 1991).


Modern English usage. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • Without — With*out , prep. [OE. withoute, withouten, AS. wi[eth]?tan; wi[eth] with, against, toward + ?tan outside, fr. ?t out. See {With}, prep., {Out}.] [1913 Webster] 1. On or at the outside of; out of; not within; as, without doors. [1913 Webster]… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Without — With*out , adv. 1. On or art the outside; not on the inside; not within; outwardly; externally. [1913 Webster] Without were fightings, within were fears. 2 Cor. vii. 5. [1913 Webster] 2. Outside of the house; out of doors. [1913 Webster] The… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Without — With*out , conj. Unless; except; introducing a clause. [1913 Webster] You will never live to my age without you keep yourselves in breath with exercise, and in heart with joyfulness. Sir P. Sidney. [1913 Webster] Note: Now rarely used by good… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Without Me — Infobox Single Name = Without Me Artist = Eminem from Album = The Eminem Show Released = May 21, 2002 Format = CD Genre = Hip hop, Comedy rap Length = 4:50 Label = Aftermath/Interscope Writer = Eminem Producer = Eminem Certification = Chart… …   Wikipedia

  • without — I. preposition Etymology: Middle English withoute, from Old English withūtan, from with + ūtan outside, from ūt out more at out Date: before 12th century 1. outside 2. used as a function word to indicate the absence or lack of something or… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • without — See: DO WITHOUT or GO WITHOUT, MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW, RECKON WITHOUT …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • without — See: DO WITHOUT or GO WITHOUT, MAKE BRICKS WITHOUT STRAW, RECKON WITHOUT …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • Without day — Without With*out , prep. [OE. withoute, withouten, AS. wi[eth]?tan; wi[eth] with, against, toward + ?tan outside, fr. ?t out. See {With}, prep., {Out}.] [1913 Webster] 1. On or at the outside of; out of; not within; as, without doors. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Without recourse — Without With*out , prep. [OE. withoute, withouten, AS. wi[eth]?tan; wi[eth] with, against, toward + ?tan outside, fr. ?t out. See {With}, prep., {Out}.] [1913 Webster] 1. On or at the outside of; out of; not within; as, without doors. [1913… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Without the Communist Party, There Would Be No New China — (simplified Chinese: 没有共产党就没有新中国; traditional Chinese: 沒有共產黨就沒有新中國; pinyin: Méiyǒu Gòngchǎndǎng Jiù Méiyǒu Xīn …   Wikipedia

  • Without Face — is a Hungarian progressive metal band formed in Veszprém, Hungary in 1997. The band features a dual female and male vocal line up similar to that of gothic metal, with progressive metal and thrash metal overtones. Their lyrics are influenced by… …   Wikipedia

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