for

for

synonyms, antonyms, definitions, examples & translations of for in English

English Online Dictionary. What means for‎? What does for mean?

English

Etymology

From Middle English for, from Old English for (“for, because of”), from Proto-Germanic *furi (“for”), from Proto-Indo-European *preh₂-.

Cognate with West Frisian foar (“for”), Dutch voor (“for”), German für (“for”), Danish for (“for”), Swedish för (“for”), Norwegian for (“for”), Icelandic fyrir (“for”), Latin per (“by, through, for, by means of”) and Romance language successors (e.g. Spanish para (“for”)), Ancient Greek περί (perí, “for, about, toward”), Lithuanian per (“by, through, during”), Sanskrit परि (pári, “over, around”).

Pronunciation

  • (stressed) enPR: fôr
    • (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /fɔː(ɹ)/
    • (General American) IPA(key): /fɔɹ/
    • (Canada) IPA(key): [foːɹ]
      • (Dialectal) IPA(key): [fɔ(ː)ɹ], [fəɹ]
    • (General Australian, New Zealand) IPA(key): /foː(ɹ)/
    • Rhymes: -ɔː(ɹ)
  • (unstressed) enPR: fər
    • (Received Pronunciation, General Australian) IPA(key): /fə(ɹ)/
    • (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /fɚ/, /fə/
    • (New Zealand) IPA(key): /fɘ(ɹ)/
  • Homophones: fore, four (horse–hoarse merger)

Conjunction

for

  1. (formal, literary) Because.

Synonyms

  • given that, seeing that; see also Thesaurus:because

Translations

Preposition

for

  1. Towards; in the direction of.
  2. Directed at; intended to belong to.
  3. In order to help, benefit, gratify, honor etc. (someone or something).
  4. Befitting of someone’s beliefs, needs, wants, skills, or tastes; best suited to.
  5. To be used or treated in a stated way, or with a stated purpose.
  6. Supporting, in favour of.
    Antonym: against
  7. Because of.
  8. In order to cure, remove or counteract.
  9. So as to allow (something or someone) to take position.
  10. In anticipation of.
  11. So as to identify or locate.
  12. Over (a period of time).
  13. Throughout or across (a distance in space).
  14. Used to introduce a subject of a to-infinitive clause.
  15. On behalf of.
  16. In the role or capacity of; instead of; in place of.
  17. In exchange for; in correspondence or equivalence with.
  18. In order to obtain or acquire.
  19. By the standards of, usually with the implication that those standards are lower than one might otherwise expect; considering.
  20. To be, or as being.
    • 17th century Abraham Cowley, Of Wit
      We take a falling meteor for a star.
    • c. 1690, John Dryden, Translations (Preface)
      Most of our ingenious young men take up some cry'd-up English poet for their model.
  21. (usually in the phrase 'for all') Despite, in spite of.
    • 1892 August 6, "The Unbidden Guest", in Charles Dickens, Jr. (editor), All the Year Round,[3] page 133,
      Mr. Joseph Blenkinshaw was perhaps not worth quite so much as was reported; but for all that he was a very wealthy man […]
  23. Indicating something desired or anticipated.
  24. (in expressions such as 'for a start') Introducing the first item(s) in a potential sequence .
  25. (with names, chiefly US) In honor of; after.
  26. (UK) Due for or facing (a certain outcome or fate).
  27. (chiefly US) Out of; used to indicate a fraction, a ratio
  28. (cricket) Used as part of a score to indicate the number of wickets that have fallen.
  29. (obsolete) Indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done.
  30. (nonstandard) So (that), in order to
    He took the swing shift for he could get more overtime.
  31. Used in various other more-or-less idiomatic ways to construe individual verbs, indicating various semantic relationships such as target, purpose, result, etc.; see also the entries for individual phrasal verbs, e.g. ask for, look for, stand for, etc.

Usage notes

Some modern grammars classify the sense that introduces a subject of a to-infinitive clause as a subordinator rather than a preposition; most grammar books and dictionaries to date, being based on traditional grammar, classify it as a preposition rather than a subordinating conjunction.

Alternative forms

  • (eye dialects): fa, fo, fo', fur, fuh, fer

Antonyms

  • against

Derived terms

Translations

Particle

for

  1. (nonstandard, in representations of dialectal speech, especially that of black speakers) To, the particle for marking the following verb as an infinitive.
    • 2007, H. Nigel Thomas, Return to Arcadia: A Novel (Tsar Publications):
      "She say that when nigger people step out o' they place and start for rub shoulders with Bacra, trouble just 'round the corner."

Related terms

  • for to

References

Further reading

  • Andrea Tyler and Vyvyan Evans, "Spatial particles of orientation", in The Semantics of English Prepositions: Spatial Scenes, Embodied Meaning and Cognition, Cambridge University Press, 2003, 0-521-81430 8
  • “for”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
  • “for”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.

Anagrams

  • 'fro, ORF, fro, orf

Abinomn

Noun

for

  1. a kind of fish

Cameroon Pidgin

Alternative forms

  • foe, fo

Etymology

From English for.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔ/

Preposition

for

  1. for

Catalan

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): (Central, Balearic) [ˈfɔr]
  • IPA(key): (Valencia) [ˈfor]

Noun

for m (plural fors)

  1. tax, rate
  2. (numismatics) exchange rate, market value (of a coin)
  3. forum
  4. (archaic) fuero, tribunal

Chinese

Etymology 1

From English for.

Pronunciation

Preposition

for

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) for; for the purpose of
    隻叉係for食蛋糕嘅。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    只叉系for食蛋糕嘅。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    zek3 caa1 hai6 fo6 sik6 daan6 gou1 ge3. [Jyutping]
    the fork is for eating the cake.
  2. (Hong Kong Cantonese) for; for the sake of; intended to belong to or used by
    呢個位係for長者坐㗎。 [Cantonese, trad.]
    呢个位系for长者坐㗎。 [Cantonese, simp.]
    ni1 go3 wai6-2 hai6 fo6 zoeng2 ze2 co5 gaa3. [Jyutping]
    this seat is for the elderly.
    個set如果for三個人食會唔會太細份？ [Cantonese, trad.]
    个set如果for三个人食会唔会太细份？ [Cantonese, simp.]
    go3 set1 jyu4 gwo2 fo6 saam1 go3 jan4-2 sik6 wui5 m4 wui5 taai3 sai3 fan6? [Jyutping]
    Would the portion this meal set be too little, if it were for three people to consume?
Synonyms
  • (for the purpose of): 愛嚟 / 爱嚟
Derived terms

Etymology 2

Clipping of English forward.

Pronunciation

Verb

for

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to forward (a message, an email, etc.)

References

  • 歐陽偉豪 (2010 February 25) “中英見面冊﹕OK勤力、等我load一load”, in Ming Pao (in Chinese)

Cornish

Noun

for

  1. Mixed mutation of mor.

Danish

Etymology 1

From Old Norse fóðr, from Middle Low German vōder (“linen, sheath”), from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą (“sheath”).

Alternative forms

  • fór

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈfoˀɐ̯], [ˈfoɐ̯ˀ]
  • Rhymes: -oːɐ̯

Noun

for n (singular definite foret, plural indefinite for)

  1. lining (covering for the inside of something)
  2. lining (material used for inside covering)
Inflection

References

“for,1” in Den Danske Ordbog

Etymology 2

From Old Danish for, from Proto-Germanic *furai (in Western Old Norse replaced by the variant Old Norse fyrr, from Proto-Germanic *furiz, *furi, = Danish before).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [fʌ]

Preposition

for

  1. for
  2. of
  3. to
  4. on
  5. at
  6. before, in front of
  7. by

Adverb

for

  1. too (more than enough; as too much)
  2. in front
  3. forward

Conjunction

for

  1. for, because

Etymology 3

See fare (“to rush, run”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ˈfoˀɐ̯], [ˈfoɐ̯ˀ]

Verb

for, fór or farede

  1. past of fare.

Esperanto

Etymology

Compare Latin forās, forīs (“outside”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [for]
  • Hyphenation: for

Adverb

for

  1. away, far, gone

Derived terms

French

Etymology

Inherited from Latin forum; doublet of fur and forum. Unrelated to French fort.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔʁ/

Noun

for m (plural not attested)

  1. (obsolete) Only used in for intérieur

Further reading

  • “for”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Galician

Etymology 1

Inflected form of ir (“to go”).

Verb

for

  1. first/third-person singular future subjunctive of ir

Etymology 2

Inflected form of ser (“to be”).

Verb

for

  1. first/third-person singular future subjunctive of ser

Icelandic

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔːr/
  • Rhymes: -ɔːr

Noun

for f (genitive singular forar, nominative plural forir)

  1. mud
    Synonym: drulla
  2. bog

Declension

Derived terms

  • forarpittur

Ido

Etymology

Borrowing from English far (from). Compare Esperanto for.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔr/

Preposition

for

  1. far from, away from

Derived terms

Ladin

Etymology

Borrowed from German fort or Middle High German vort (“going on, continuing”).

Adverb

for

  1. (Gherdëina) always
    Ël stà for a cësa ― He always stays at home
    La dumënies jons for sa mont ― On Sundays we always go hiking
    L ie for stat y l sarà for nsci ― It has always been and it always will be like this
  2. (Gherdëina, with comparative) to a greater degree over time, more and more
    L vën for plu frëit ― It's getting colder and colder.
    Ie capësce for de manco ― I understand less and less

Alternative forms

  • daniëura (Gherdëina)
  • tres, dagnora (Badiot)
  • semper (Fascian)

Related terms

  • per for
  • for mo
  • for inò

References

Latin

Etymology

From Proto-Italic *fāōr, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰéh₂ti (“to speak”). It is unclear why the verb is deponent.

Pronunciation

  • (Classical Latin) IPA(key): /for/, [fɔr]
  • (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): /for/, [fɔr]

Verb

for (present infinitive fārī or fārier, perfect active fātus sum); first conjugation, deponent, defective

  1. to speak, talk, say
    Synonyms: effor, inquam, oro, aio, dico, alloquor, loquor

Conjugation

Certain forms were not used in Classical Latin.

1The present passive infinitive in -ier is a rare poetic form which is attested.

Derived terms

Related terms

  • fāma
  • fās

References

  • for in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
  • for in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
  • for in Charles du Fresne du Cange’s Glossarium Mediæ et Infimæ Latinitatis (augmented edition with additions by D. P. Carpenterius, Adelungius and others, edited by Léopold Favre, 1883–1887)
  • Karl Gottlob Zumpt, 1846, A school-grammar of the Latin language, p146

Middle English

Alternative forms

  • vor, ver, fer, fur

Etymology

From Old English for, from Proto-Germanic *fura, *furi.

Preposition

for

  1. for

Conjunction

for

  1. for

Descendants

  • English: for
  • Scots: for
  • Yola: vor, var

References

  • “for, prep.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.
  • “for, conj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007.

Middle Irish

Etymology

From Old Irish for, from Proto-Celtic *uɸer, from Proto-Indo-European *upér.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɸor/

Preposition

for (with accusative or dative)

  1. on, over

Descendants

  • Irish: ar (partially)
  • Manx: er (partially)
  • Scottish Gaelic: air (partially)

References

Norwegian Bokmål

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈfɔrː/ (unstressed)
  • IPA(key): /fɔ/ (unstressed)

Etymology 1

Adverb

for

  1. too
    for ung ― too young
    for langt ― too far
Synonyms
  • altfor

Etymology 2

Conjunction

for

  1. for
Synonyms
  • fordi

Etymology 3

From Old Norse fóðr.

Noun

for n (definite singular foret, indefinite plural for, definite plural fora or forene)

  1. alternative form of fôr
Derived terms
  • dyrefor
  • fiskefor

Etymology 4

Preposition

for

  1. for
Derived terms
  • vestenfor

Etymology 5

Verb

for

  1. past of fare.

References

  • “for” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔrː/

Conjunction

for

  1. for, because

Etymology 2

From Old Norse fǫr, from Proto-Germanic *farō. Related to fara.

Alternative forms

  • fòr

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /foːr/

Noun

for f (definite singular fora, indefinite plural forer, definite plural forene)

  2. travel
  3. footprints

Etymology 3

From Old Norse for, probably derived from earlier Proto-Germanic *furhs.

Alternative forms

  • fore, fòr, fòre

Noun

for f (definite singular fora, indefinite plural forer, definite plural forene)

  2. (agriculture) furrow
Derived terms
  • plogfòr
See also
  • får (Norwegian Bokmål)

Etymology 4

Alternative forms

  • fór

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fuːr/

Adjective

for (neuter fort, definite singular and plural fore, comparative forare, indefinite superlative forast, definite superlative foraste)

  1. fast

Etymology 5

From Old Norse fóðr, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą (“fodder”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fuːr/

Noun

for n (definite singular foret, indefinite plural for, definite plural fora)

  1. alternative form of fôr (“fodder”)
Derived terms
  • dyrefor
  • fiskefor

Etymology 6

From Old Norse fóðr, borrowed from Middle Low German vōder (“sheath, linen”), from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fuːr/

Noun

for n (definite singular foret, indefinite plural for, definite plural fora)

  1. alternative form of fôr (“lining”)

Etymology 7

From Old Norse fyrir.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔrː/

Preposition

for

  1. for
  2. of

Adverb

for

  1. too
  2. in favour of
Derived terms
  • innanfor
  • utanfor
  • utfor

Etymology 8

Verb

for

  1. misspelling of fór, past of fara

Etymology 9

Verb

for

  1. imperative of fòra
  2. imperative of fôra

References

  • “for” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Old English

Etymology 1

From Proto-West Germanic *furi.

Alternative forms

  • fore

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /for/

Preposition

for

  1. because of (+ dative)
  2. for (duration of time)
    • late 10th century, Ælfric, "Saint Sebastian, Martyr"
  3. for (for the sake of) (+ dative)
    • c. 990, Wessex Gospels, Luke 9:24
  4. for (on behalf of, instead of) (+ accusative)
    • c. 992, Ælfric, "The Nativity of St. Paul the Apostle"
  5. ago (+ dative)
    • c. 995, Ælfric, Extracts on Grammar in English
  6. (Usually in the phrase for eall) for all, despite, in spite of (+ dative)
Descendants
  • Middle English: for
    • English: for
    • Scots: for
    • Yola: vor, var

Etymology 2

see faran

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /foːr/

Verb

fōr

  1. first/third-person singular preterite of faran

Etymology 3

From Proto-Germanic *fōrō (“trip; wagon”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /foːr/

Noun

fōr f (nominative plural fōra)

  1. journey, going, course, expedition, approach; passage, lifestyle, way of life
Declension

Strong ō-stem:

Etymology 4

Variant of fearh. From Proto-West Germanic *farh (“pig”). Cognate with Middle Low German vōr (“lean young pig”).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /foːr/

Noun

fōr m

  1. hog, pig
Declension

Strong a-stem:

Descendants
  • Middle English: *farow, *fargh (attested only in plural form faren)
    • English: farrow
    • Scots: ferrae, ferry, farry

Old Irish

Etymology 1

From Proto-Celtic *sweseros, from *swīs (“you (pl.)”); compare Latin vester.

Alternative forms

  • far, bar

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [βor]

Determiner

for (triggers eclipsis)

  1. your (plural)
  2. you (plural; as the object of a preposition that takes the genitive)

For quotations using this term, see Citations:for.

Synonyms
  • sethar
Descendants
  • Irish: bhur
  • Scottish Gaelic: ur

Further reading

  • Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “2 for, far, bar, uar (‘your’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Etymology 2

From Proto-Celtic *uɸer, from Proto-Indo-European *upér.

Alternative forms

  • far

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): [ɸor]

Preposition

for (with accusative or dative)

  1. on, over

For quotations using this term, see Citations:for.

Inflection
Derived terms

Combinations with definite articles:

  • forsin(d) (masculine and feminine accusative singular, all genders dative singular)
  • forsa (neuter accusative singular)
  • for(s)na (accusative plural)
  • for(s)naib (dative plural)

Combinations with possessive determiners:

  • form (“on my”)
  • fort (“on your sg”)
  • fora (“on his/her/its/their”)

Combinations with relative pronouns:

  • for(s)a (“on whom, on which”)
  • forna (“on whom/which … not”)
Descendants
  • Middle Irish: for
    • Irish: ar (partially)
    • Manx: er (partially)
    • Scottish Gaelic: air (partially)

Further reading

  • Gregory Toner, Sharon Arbuthnot, Máire Ní Mhaonaigh, Marie-Luise Theuerkauf, Dagmar Wodtko, editors (2019), “1 for (‘on, over’)”, in eDIL: Electronic Dictionary of the Irish Language

Old Norse

Etymology

Probably derived from Proto-Germanic *furhs.

Noun

for f

  1. furrow

Descendants

  • Icelandic: for
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: for, fór
  • Norwegian Bokmål: får
  • Old Swedish: for
    • Swedish: fåra

References

  • "for", in Geir T. Zoëga (1910) A Concise Dictionary of Old Icelandic, Oxford: Clarendon Press

Old Saxon

Noun

for

  1. Alternative form of fora

Portuguese

Etymology 1

Inherited from Latin forem (imperfect active subjunctive).

Pronunciation

  • Rhymes: (Portugal, São Paulo) -oɾ, (Brazil) -oʁ
  • Hyphenation: for

Verb

for

  1. first/third-person singular future subjunctive of ir
  2. first/third-person singular future subjunctive of ser

Etymology 2

Unadapted borrowing from English for.

Pronunciation

Noun

for m (plural fors)

  1. (programming) for loop (a loop that uses a counter)

Romanian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin forum.

Noun

for n (plural foruri)

  1. forum

Declension

Swedish

Verb

for

  1. past indicative of fara

Walloon

Etymology

From Old French forn, from Latin furnus.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /fɔʀ/

Noun

for m (plural fors)

  1. oven

West Makian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɸor/

Verb

for

  1. (transitive) to hit repeatedly with a stick or other object

Conjugation

References

  • Clemens Voorhoeve (1982) The Makian languages and their neighbours‎[5], Pacific linguistics

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