without
/wɪðˈaʊt
/preposition
1In the absence of: he went to Sweden without her...
- This allegation has been denied by the club but in the absence of smoke without fire, it must be considered a possibility.
- I believe there is no smoke without fire.
- In that case there was smoke without fire, and in May he walked free from court.
Synonyms
unaccompanied by, unescorted by;
in the absence of
1.1 [often with verbal noun] In circumstances in which the action mentioned does not happen: they sat looking at each other without speaking...
- I can't finish this piece without making a special mention of the lighting.
- Hardly a day goes by without some mention in the media of a new sporting deal.
- His second wife, Bettye, tied the knot without mentioning that she'd been married before.
2Not having the use or benefit of: the first person to make the ascent without oxygen...
- True, it is hard for a monk not to touch money and to live without the comforts of this world.
- They live in rented accommodation without a car and are saving money, for a better life back home.
- This may seem like a simple proposition, but to a man it's like you have asked him to scale Mount Everest without oxygen.
Synonyms
lacking, in need of, wanting for, needing, requiring, short of;
deprived of, destitute of
3 archaic or literary Outside: the barbarians without the gates
adverb archaic or literary
Outside: the enemy without
conjunction archaic or dialect
1Without it being the case that: he won’t be able to go without we know it
1.1Unless: I’d never have known you without you spoke to me
Origin
Old English withūtan 'on the outside'.