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prepositionpreposition

senza

without

Definition & meaning

The preposition senza is used to indicate the absence, lack, or exclusion of something or someone. It translates to the English "without."

  • Absence of something: It indicates that an object or a quality is missing (e.g., "Il caffè senza zucchero" - Coffee without sugar).
  • Absence of an action: When followed by an infinitive verb, it indicates that an action is not performed while something else is happening (e.g., "È uscito senza salutare" - He left without saying goodbye).

Grammar & Word origin

Grammar:

  • senza is a preposition.
  • It is often used alone, but it can also be followed by an article or a pronoun to form a compound preposition, such as senz'altro (without a doubt/certainly).
  • When followed by a word starting with a vowel, it often elides into senz' (e.g., senz'acqua - without water).

Origin:

  • The word derives from the Latin sine (without) combined with the archaic abs (away from/off). Through the evolution of the language, it transformed into the Italian senza.

Synonyms & antonyms

Synonyms:

  • Privo di (devoid of/lacking)
  • Mancante di (missing)
  • Escluso (excluded - depending on context)

Antonyms:

  • Con (with)
  • Dotato di (endowed with/having)
  • Provvisto di (provided with)

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Examples

Sono uscito senza giacca.preposition

I went out without a jacket.

I bambini hanno fatto colazione senza latte.preposition

The children had breakfast without milk.

Non esco mai senza dirti ciao.preposition

I never leave without saying goodbye to you.

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