with-

prefix

Prefix meaning "against", "in opposition to".

“withgang, withjoin, withtake”

OriginMiddle English with- ← Old English wiþ- ← Proto-West Germanic *wiþi- →
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Meanings

prefix
  1. Prefix meaning "against", "in opposition to".

    withfight, withstand, withset, withsay, withspeak

  2. Prefix meaning "back", "back around", "in reverse", "in return".

    withbuy, withcall, withdraw, withdrive, withgive, withhold, withturn

  3. Prefix meaning "off", "out", "away", "from".

    withbear, withgive, withgo, withhang, withsave, withseek

  4. Prefix meaning "with", "along with", "together (with)".

    withgang, withjoin, withtake

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
re-

Origin

  1. Proto-Germanic*wiþi-“counter-, anti-, gain-, with-”
  2. Proto-West Germanic*wiþi-
  3. Old Englishwiþ-“against, away”
  4. Middle Englishwith-
  5. Englishwith-

From Middle English with-, from Old English wiþ- (“against, away”, prefix), from Proto-West Germanic *wiþi-, from Proto-Germanic *wiþi- (“counter-, anti-, gain-, with-”), related to Old English wiþ (“with, by, near, against, beside, at, through, for, in return, opposite, towards, to”, preposition). Cognate with Old Frisian with-, Old Saxon with-, Danish ved-, Swedish vid-, Faroese við-, Icelandic við-. Related also to English wither-, and Dutch weder- (“back”), German wider- (“against”), German wieder- (“again”). More at with.

More words from Middle English, Old English, Proto-West Germanic

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

with-. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/with-

MLA

“with-.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/with-. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “with-,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/with-.

Source: with- on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.