Word definition: for

Etimology


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”).

conjunction


for

(formal, literary) Because.

Examples


I had to stay with my wicked stepmother, for I had nowhere else to go.

[…] Dismount thy tuck, be yare in thy preparation, for thy assailant is quick, skillful and deadly.

[…] nor is there found, in sea or on land, a sweeter or pleasanter of gifts than she; for she is prime in comeliness and seemlihead of face and symmetrical shape of perfect grace; her check is ruddy dight, her brow flower white, her teeth gem-bright, her eyes blackest black and whitest white, her hips of heavy weight, her waist slight and her favour exquisite.

"By means of the Golden Cap I shall command the Winged Monkeys to carry you to the gates of the Emerald City," said Glinda, "for it would be a shame to deprive the people of so wonderful a ruler."

Related words


synonyms

given that, seeing that; see also Thesaurus:because

preposition


for

Towards; in the direction of.

Directed at; intended to belong to.

In order to help, benefit, gratify, honor etc. (someone or something).

Befitting of someone’s beliefs, needs, wants, skills, or tastes; best suited to.

To be used or treated in a stated way, or with a stated purpose.

Supporting, in favour of.

Because of.

Intended to cure, remove or counteract; in order to cure, remove or counteract.

Over (a period of time).

Throughout or across (a distance in space).

Used to introduce a subject of a to-infinitive clause.

On behalf of.

In the role or capacity of; instead of; in place of.

In exchange for; in correspondence or equivalence with.

In order to obtain or acquire.

By the standards of, usually with the implication that those standards are lower than one might otherwise expect; considering.

To be, or as being.

(usually in the phrase 'for all') Despite, in spite of.

Indicating something desired or anticipated.

(in expressions such as 'for a start') Introducing the first item(s) in a potential sequence .

(with names, chiefly US) In honor of; after.

(UK) Due for or facing (a certain outcome or fate).

(chiefly US) Out of; used to indicate a fraction, a ratio

(cricket) Used as part of a score to indicate the number of wickets that have fallen.

(obsolete) Indicating that in prevention of which, or through fear of which, anything is done.

Used in various 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.

(nonstandard) So (that), in order to

Examples


The astronauts headed for the moon.

Run for the hills!

He was headed for the door when he remembered.

Wee ſailed from Peru, for China and Iapan, by the South Sea; [...]

I have something for you.

Everything I do, I do for you.

We're having a birthday party for Janet.

The mayor gave a speech for the charity gala.

You, telling me the things you're gonna do for me.

If having to bag the groceries correctly is more than you can handle, then this isn't the job for you.

This is a new bell for my bicycle.

The cake is for Tom and Helen's anniversary.

These apples here are for eating. The rest are for throwing away.

Antonym: against

All those for the motion, raise your hands.

Who's for ice-cream?

I'm for going by train

Ten voted for, and three against.

He wouldn't apologize; and just for that, she refused to help him.

He looks better for having lost weight.

She was the worse for drink.

I like her for lots of reasons.

with fiery eyes sparkling for very wrath

"A summerly day for you," said my host; "You ought to be here in winter. It is impossible then to get out of the doors for the snow and wind. Ugh! dreadful weather!"

I could not see his hands, for the thick gloves he wore, and his face was partially concealed by a red woollen comforter; but his entire appearance and manners tallied with what I had seen of Yorkshire farmerhood.

This medicine is for your cough.

I need to spray my house for termites.

I've lived here for three years.

They fought for days over a silly pencil.

To guide the sun's bright chariot for a day.

I can see for miles.

For many miles about / There's scarce a bush.

It is unreasonable for our boss to withhold our wages.

All I want is for you to be happy.

I will stand in for him.

I speak for the Prime Minister.

I used a hay bale for a bed.

He's got a turnip for a brain.

I got five hundred pounds for that old car!

He matched me blow for blow.

And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

I am aiming for completion by the end of business Thursday.

He's going for his doctorate.

Do you want to go for coffee?

People all over Greece looked to Delphi for answers.

Can you go to the store for some eggs?

I'm saving up for a car.

Don't wait for an answer.

What did he ask you for?

For we would have you know it, / The loſs will fall on us, not on the Poet: / For he writes not for money, nor for praiſe, / Nor to be call'd a Wit, nor to wear Bayes: […]

Fair for its day.

She's spry for an old lady.

He's very mature, for a two-year-old.

Don't take me for a fool.

We take a falling meteor for a star.

if a man can be persuaded and fully assured of anything for a truth without having examined, what is there that he may not embrace for truth ?

Most of our ingenious young men take up some cry'd-up English poet for their model.

But let her go for an ungrateful woman.

They knew him for a stranger.

For all his expensive education, he didn't seem very bright.

"You must keep your head. There is still hope." "Hope!" "Yes; plentiful hope -- for all this destruction!"

Mr. Joseph Blenkinshaw was perhaps not worth quite so much as was reported; but for all that he was a very wealthy man […]

For all his faults, there had been something lofty and great about him - as a judge, as a patron of education, as a builder, as an international figure.

O for the wings of a dove.

Ah! for wings to soar …

And now for a slap-up meal!

O For a Muſe of Fire, that would aſcend / The brighteſt Heauen of Inuention :

Oh! but to breathe the air / By their side under summer skies! To watch the blush on their cheeks, / The light in their liquid eyes. / Oh! but for one short hour, / To whisper a word of love; […]

Go scuba diving? For one thing, I can't even swim.

For another, we don't have any equipment.

He is named for his grandfather.

He totally screwed up that project. Now he's surely for the sack.

In term of base hits, Jones was three for four on the day

At close of play, England were 305 for 3.

We'll have a bib, for spoiling of thy doublet.

to account for one's whereabouts    to care for a relative    to settle for second best    to allow for mistakes

He took the swing shift for he could get more overtime.

Related words


antonyms

against

Data provided by Wiktionary