əv,
before consonants also ə;
ˈəv 
ˈäv
1
—used as a function word to indicate a point of reckoning
north of the lake
2
a
—used as a function word to indicate origin or derivation
a man of noble birth
b
—used as a function word to indicate the cause, motive, or reason
died of flu
c
: by
plays of Shakespeare
d
: on the part of
very kind of you
e
: occurring in
a fish of the western Atlantic
3
—used as a function word to indicate the component material, parts, or elements or the contents
throne of gold
cup of water
4
a
—used as a function word to indicate the whole that includes the part denoted by the preceding word
most of the army
b
—used as a function word to indicate a whole or quantity from which a part is removed or expended
gave of his time
5
a
: relating to : about
stories of her travels
b
: in respect to
slow of speech
6
a
—used as a function word to indicate belonging or a possessive relationship
king of England
b
—used as a function word to indicate relationship between a result determined by a function or operation and a basic entity (such as an independent variable)
a function of x
the product of two numbers
7
—used as a function word to indicate something from which a person or thing is delivered
eased of her pain
or with respect to which someone or something is made destituterobbed of all their belongings
8
a
—used as a function word to indicate a particular example belonging to the class denoted by the preceding noun
the city of Rome
b
—used as a function word to indicate apposition
that fool of a husband
9
a
—used as a function word to indicate the object of an action denoted or implied by the preceding noun
love of nature
b
—used as a function word to indicate the application of a verb
cheats him of a dollar
or of an adjectivefond of candy
10
—used as a function word to indicate a characteristic or distinctive quality or possession
a woman of courage
11
a
—used as a function word to indicate the position in time of an action or occurrence
died of a Monday
b
: before
quarter of ten
12
archaic
: on
a plague of all cowards—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeareəv,
before consonants also ə
nonstandard
: have
—used in place of the contraction 've often in representations of uneducated speech
I could of beat them easy—Ring Lardner
Ring Lardner
outfield
Synonyms
Examples of of in a Sentence
Preposition
He is a coworker of mine.
I threw out that old shirt of yours.
She's a friend of my mother's.
He had the support of his family to help him.
the plays of William Shakespeare
What is the name of the band?
We admired the courage of the young woman.
the President of the United States
What is the total cost of the repairs?
The value of the antique is high.
Recent Examples on the WebRon Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2024
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—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for of 
Preposition
Competitive swimming of shorter lengths got a boost in 1896, when the ancient Olympics were revived in Athens and races were held in the nearby Bay of Zea.
—Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, 26 May 2024
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
—Staff Author, Peoplemag, 26 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for of
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'of.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near of
Cite this Entry
“Of.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/of. Accessed 3 Jun. 2024.
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