Prefix · action · back/against
A native English prefix meaning "back" or "against": withdraw, withstand, withhold, wither.
Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated
With- is an Old English prefix from "wið" (against, toward, away from) — the historical opposite of the modern preposition "with" (= together). It signals retraction, resistance, or retention: withdraw = pull back/away; withstand = stand firm against; withhold = hold back; wither = dry back/shrink away. The gap between the preposition and the prefix is a common source of confusion for learners.
Notice how with- creates contrasting pairs: within (inside) vs. without (outside, without). "Within the building" vs. "without a key." The prefix with- in these words means "at the boundary/back" not "together with." It is a purely Germanic prefix — it has no Latin or Greek equivalent, and no single Spanish translation covers all its uses.
Attaches to verbs to signal retraction, resistance, or retention:
Pronunciation: /wɪð/. No single Spanish equivalent — translations vary: withdraw/retirar, withstand/resistir, withhold/retener, without/sin, within/dentro de, wither/marchitar. Key warning: with- (prefix, "against/back") is NOT the same as "with" (preposition, "together with").
with-/wɪð/
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The preposition "with" (= together, accompanying) and the prefix "with-" (= against, back, away) have diverged in meaning over time. Withdraw does not mean "draw with" — it means "pull back/away." Withstand does not mean "stand with" — it means "stand firm against." This is one of the most counterintuitive prefixes in English for speakers used to the modern preposition.
A trick to remember it
With- = back, against (NOT "with/together"!). Key words: withdraw (pull back), withstand (resist), withhold (hold back), without (on the outside of), within (on the inside of). The prefix is the historical opposite of the modern preposition — a common English false friend hiding in plain sight.
Exercise 1 · Form the word
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
What does the prefix "with-" mean in "withstand"?
The prefix with- a native English prefix meaning "back" or "against": withdraw, withstand, withhold, wither.
The prefix with- is pronounced /wɪð/. For example, "withdraw".
"draw" becomes "withdraw". It is a typical example of the with- prefix.
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