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Definition of de

de

/deɪ/
de
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de Lexical Profile

de Game Scores & Validity

• preposition

1

Of; from; used in personal names (originally to indicate nobility or place of origin) and in borrowed French, Spanish, and Latin phrases.

Example

"The historical treatise was authored by Alexis de Tocqueville following his travels in America."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for de

Word Nuance & Usage

In English, 'de' is not a native standalone preposition; it appears almost exclusively in borrowed Latin or Romance phrases (such as 'de facto' or 'coup de grâce') and as a noble or geographic particle in personal names.

• Rhymes for de

• Nearby Words

dazzler
dazzling
dazzlingly
de
de grey
de vis banded snake
deacon

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed from French, Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin 'de', meaning 'of, from, or down from'.

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of De. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/de
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