for
for Lexical Profile
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• preposition
Intended to belong to, be given to, or be used in connection with a specified person, group, or purpose.
"There is a package waiting for you at the front desk."
In support of, in favor of, or on behalf of someone or something.
"The committee members voted overwhelmingly for the new environmental proposal."
Over a specified period of time or span of distance.
"They walked along the coastal trail for five miles before stopping to rest."
In exchange for, at the price of, or as a consequence of.
"He sold his vintage guitar for five hundred dollars."
Toward or in the direction of a specified destination.
"The express train leaves for Chicago in twenty minutes."
• conjunction
Because; since; seeing that (used to introduce a clause stating a reason or explanation for the preceding statement, primarily in formal or literary contexts).
"She decided to bring an umbrella, for the morning sky looked dark and threatening."
Word Nuance & Usage
Often confused with its homophone 'four' (the number 4) and 'fore' (situated in front). As a coordinating conjunction meaning 'because', 'for' is mostly restricted to formal or literary registers and cannot be placed at the beginning of a sentence to introduce a dependent clause.
• Rhymes for for
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'for', meaning 'before, in the sight of, on account of, or in place of', derived from Proto-Germanic *furi and ultimately from the Proto-Indo-European root *per- ('forward, through').