# preposition

Pronunciation: say "prep-uh-ZISH-uhn" /ˌpɹɛpəˈzɪʃən/

## Noun

1. A non-inflecting word that links a following noun or pronoun to another word, showing a relationship such as place, time, or direction.
   - Simple: A small word that links a noun to other words and shows things like place, time, or direction.
   - _In the phrase 'the cat on the mat,' the word 'on' works as a preposition._
   - _Each preposition governs the noun or pronoun that follows it._
2. An adposition: a linking function word used regardless of whether it precedes or follows the noun or pronoun it governs.
   - Simple: A linking word placed before or after a noun to join it to the rest of a sentence.
   - _Across languages, a preposition need not always stand before the word it connects._
   - _She analyzed every preposition in the corpus, including those that trail their objects._

## Verb

Pronunciation: say "pree-puh-ZISH-uhn" US /ˌpɹipəˈzɪʃən/, UK /ˌpɹiːpəˈzɪʃən/

3. Alternative spelling of pre-position. — Alternative spelling of pre-position.
   - Simple: Another way to spell pre-position. It means to put something in place ahead of time.
   - _Commanders preposition supplies near the border before the storm season._
   - _Aid groups preposition tents and blankets ahead of the winter._

## Noun

4. A proposition, exposition, or extended piece of discourse. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A spoken or written piece that explains or argues a point.
   - _The bishop opened the synod with a weighty preposition on charity._
   - _The prepositions in the old volume each defend a single point of doctrine._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–2, 4** — From Middle English preposicioun, from Old French preposicion, from Latin praepositio (from praepono, "to place before"), equivalent to pre- + position. It is so named because it is placed before the word it is phrased with, as in "a bridge of iron" or "he comes from town."
**Meaning 3** — Formed from pre- and position.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/preposition (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).