Here you’ll find 14 Prepositions that start with N, organized from “near” to “notwithstanding”. Many express space or time, while others like “notwithstanding” appear in formal or legal contexts.
Prepositions that start with N are words that link nouns or pronouns to other sentence elements. One notable example, “notwithstanding”, appears often in legal and formal writing.
Below you’ll find the table with Preposition, Definition, Common pairings and Example.
Preposition: The word itself; you use this column to find each preposition and confirm its exact spelling and form.
Definition: Brief meaning in plain language so you understand common senses and pick the right preposition for sentences.
Common pairings: Typical collocations or complements (3–5) that help you see usual verbs, nouns or structures with the preposition.
Example: One clear sentence showing normal usage, so you can copy structure and context into your own writing.
Prepositions that start with N
| Preposition | Type | Meaning | Common pairings |
|---|---|---|---|
| near | Single-word preposition | close to; at a short distance from | near the house, near me, near completion, near the river |
| neath | Single-word preposition; archaic/poetic | beneath; under | neath the waves, neath his feet, neath the surface |
| nigh | Single-word preposition; archaic/poetic | near; close to | nigh the end, nigh to death, nigh the town |
| nigh to | Multi-word preposition; archaic/poetic | very close to; almost at | nigh to collapse, nigh to impossible, nigh to the edge |
| near to | Multi-word preposition; informal/esp. British | close to; adjacent to | near to the edge, near to completion, near to the station |
| next to | Multi-word preposition; common colloquial | immediately beside; adjacent to | next to me, next to the door, next to impossible, next to the sofa |
| next after | Multi-word preposition; rare/formal | immediately following; subsequent to | next after the leader, next after the winner, next after lunch |
| no thanks to | Multi-word preposition; idiomatic | without the help of; despite someone’s actions | no thanks to the rain, no thanks to him, no thanks to bad timing |
| notwithstanding | Single-word preposition; formal | in spite of; despite | notwithstanding his warnings, notwithstanding the evidence, notwithstanding the delays |
| north of | Multi-word preposition; directional/common | to the north of; more than (with numbers) | north of 1,000, north of the city, north of the river |
| northeast of | Multi-word preposition; directional | to the northeast of; toward NE | northeast of the town, northeast of London, northeast of the park |
| northwest of | Multi-word preposition; directional | to the northwest of; toward NW | northwest of the city, northwest of the base, northwest of town |
| northward of | Multi-word preposition; formal/less common | toward the north side of; approximately more than | northward of 1,000, northward of the border, northward of the town |
| northwards of | Multi-word preposition; regional/literary | toward the north; roughly more than | northwards of the city, northwards of 1,000, northwards of the coast |
Descriptions
near
Casual preposition for physical or temporal proximity; common in speech and writing. Example: She lives near the station.
neath
Archaic contraction of ‘beneath’, now chiefly poetic or dialectal. Rare in modern prose. Example: The chest lay neath the sand.
nigh
Poetic or dialectal term for closeness; often found in older texts and expressions. Example: They camped nigh the river.
nigh to
Older or poetic variant of ‘near to’; uncommon in modern usage. Example: The glass was nigh to overflowing.
near to
Common especially in British English and often interchangeable with ‘near’. Example: She’s sitting near to the window.
next to
Widely used for physical and figurative adjacency; very common in speech. Example: He sat next to his friend.
next after
Older or formal phrasing meaning ‘following’; less common than ‘after’ or ‘next in line’. Example: Next after the captain came the first mate.
no thanks to
Idiomatic phrase meaning something happened despite someone’s (usually negative) contribution. Example: We finished on time, no thanks to the delays.
notwithstanding
Formal or legal register; functions as preposition, conjunction, or adverb. Example: Notwithstanding the warnings, she continued.
north of
Used for geographic direction and to mean ‘more than’ roughly in quantities. Example: The village is north of the river.
northeast of
Compass-direction phrase used in directions, maps, and descriptions. Example: The cabin is northeast of the lake.
northwest of
Compass-direction phrase used geographically and in navigation. Example: Their farm is northwest of the town.
northward of
Slightly more formal or literary than ‘north of’; indicates direction or approximate quantity. Example: The trail runs northward of the old border.
northwards of
Variant of ‘northward of’, more common in British or literary contexts; denotes direction or approximation. Example: Villages lie northwards of the river.