for
(fɔr; unstressed fər)
prep. 1. with the object or purpose of: to run for exercise.
2. intended to belong to or be used in connection with: equipment for the army; a closet for dishes.
3. suiting the purposes or needs of: medicine for the aged.
4. in order to obtain, gain, or acquire: to work for wages.
5. (used to express a wish, as of something to be experienced or obtained): O, for a cold drink!
6. sensitive or responsive to: an eye for beauty.
7. desirous of: a longing for adventure.
8. in consideration or payment of; in return for: three for a dollar.
9. appropriate or adapted to: a subject for speculation; clothes for winter.
10. with regard or respect to: pressed for time.
11. during the continuance of: for a long time.
12. in favor of; on the side of: to be for honest government.
13. in place of; instead of: a substitute for butter.
14. in the interest of; on behalf of: to act for a client.
15. in exchange for; as an offset to: blow for blow.
16. in punishment of: payment for the crime.
17. in honor of: to give a dinner for a person.
18. with the purpose of reaching: to start for London.
19. contributive to: for the advantage of everybody.
20. in order to save: to flee for one's life.
21. in order to become: to train recruits for soldiers.
22. in assignment or attribution to: That's for you to decide.
23. such as to allow of or to require: too many for separate mention.
24. such as results in: my reason for going.
25. as affecting the interests or circumstances of: bad for one's health.
26. in proportion or with reference to: He is tall for his age.
27. in the character of; as being: to know a thing for a fact.
28. by reason of; because of: to shout for joy.
29. in spite of: They're decent people for all that.
30. to the extent or amount of: to walk for a mile.
31. (used to introduce a subject in an infinitive phrase): It's time for me to go.
32. (used to indicate the number of successes out of a specified number of attempts): The batter was 2 for 3 in the game.
conj. 33. seeing that; since.
34. because.
[before 900; Middle English, Old English]
for-
a prefix meaning “away,” “off,” “to the uttermost,” “extremely,” “wrongly,” or imparting a negative or privative force, occurring in verbs and nouns formed from verbs of Old or Middle English origin: forbid; forswear.
[Middle English, Old English; compare Old High German fir-, far-, Latin per-, Greek peri-]
for.
1. foreign.
2. forester.
3. forestry.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.