of
of
Pronunciation
The IPA phonetic spelling for "of" is /ɒv/.
/ɒ/: The 'o' sound, similar to the 'o' in "pot" or "dog" (a short 'o').
/v/: The 'v' sound, as in "van" or "love."
Word Form Variations
"Of" is a preposition and does not have variations in word form like singular/plural, different tenses (for verbs), or comparative/superlative forms (for adjectives/adverbs). It remains "of" regardless of context.
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Preposition
Definition 1: Indicating origin, source, or derivation.
Example: "The play was a work of genius."
Synonyms: from, by, belonging to
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms for this usage, as it denotes relationship rather than opposition)
Definition 2: Indicating the relationship between a part and a whole, or a specific quantity.
Example: "A piece of cake."
Synonyms: from, in, part of
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Definition 3: Indicating possession, attachment, or association.
Example: "The house of my dreams."
Synonyms: belonging to, associated with, possessed by
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Definition 4: Indicating a cause, reason, or motive.
Example: "He died of a broken heart."
Synonyms: from, because of, owing to
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Definition 5: Indicating the material or components from which something is made.
Example: "A table made of wood."
Synonyms: from, out of, composed of
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Definition 6: Indicating the subject or topic being discussed or considered.
Example: "The story of his life."
Synonyms: concerning, regarding, about
Antonyms: (No direct antonyms)
Definition 7: Indicating removal or separation.
Example: "Relieved of his duties."
Synonyms: from, away from, separated from
Antonyms: into, onto (in the sense of bringing closer)
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..." (Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities, 1859)
"The Fellowship of the Ring" (J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings, July 1954)
Newspapers:
"Cost of living crisis deepens as inflation hits new highs." (The Guardian)
"President addresses the nation on the state of the economy." (The New York Times)
Online Publications:
"The future of artificial intelligence: opportunities and challenges." (MIT Technology Review)
"A comprehensive guide to the benefits of mindfulness." (Psychology Today)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl" (Walt Disney Pictures, July 2003)
Television Series: "House of Cards" (Netflix, February 2013)
Music Album: "The Dark Side of the Moon" (Pink Floyd, March 1973)
Video Game: "The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild" (Nintendo, March 2017)
Podcast: "The Daily" by The New York Times often features episodes on topics such as "The Cost of School Shootings" (The New York Times, May 2022).
General Public Discourse:
"I'm so tired of this traffic." (Everyday conversation, ongoing)
"That's a matter of opinion." (Common idiom, ongoing)
"Could you get me a glass of water?" (Common request, ongoing)
"We need to think of a solution." (Collaborative discussion, ongoing)
10 Quotes Using Of
"The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." (Franklin D. Roosevelt, March 4, 1933)
"A thing of beauty is a joy forever." (John Keats, Endymion, 1818)
"The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice." (Martin Luther King Jr., often attributed to a sermon from 1959)
"Knowledge is power." (Francis Bacon, Meditationes Sacrae, 1597)
"All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream." (Edgar Allan Poe, "A Dream Within a Dream," 1849)
"The love of money is the root of all evil." (1 Timothy 6:10, King James Version)
"Ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country." (John F. Kennedy, January 20, 1961)
"The unexamined life is not worth living." (Socrates, as recounted by Plato in Apology)
"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." (Albert Einstein, Ideas and Opinions, 1954)
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration." (Thomas Edison, Harper's Monthly, September 1932)
Etymology
The word "of" has a fascinating history! In simple terms, it comes from a very old Germanic word that basically meant "away" or "away from."
Think of it like this: Imagine in very old English, if you said "take the chicken of the freezer," it literally meant "take the chicken away from the freezer." Or if something was "born of necessity," it meant it came "away from" or "out of" necessity.
Over many centuries, the meaning of "of" gradually changed and became much broader. It started to be used to show all sorts of relationships, like belonging ("the house of my friend"), a part of a whole ("a slice of cake"), or what something is about ("the story of his life").
So, the first known use of "of" in Old English (before the 12th century) was primarily with that original meaning of "from" or "away from." It's remarkable how such a simple word evolved from that specific sense to become one of the most common and versatile words in the English language today! It also shares its ancient roots with the word "off," which still clearly carries that "away" meaning.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Of
Of course: Certainly; as expected.
Of all things: Used to express surprise or annoyance about something unexpected or inappropriate.
Of late: Recently.
Of old: From long ago; in former times.
Of necessity: Because it must be; unavoidably.
Of no account: Unimportant; worthless.
Of sound mind: Mentally competent.
Of one's own accord: Voluntarily; without being asked.
Of the essence: Absolutely necessary or important.
A matter of time: Something that is certain to happen eventually.
By dint of: By means of; because of.
In aid of: In support of; for the purpose of helping.
Out of order: Not working properly; inappropriate.
Out of the blue: Unexpectedly.
Out of hand: Out of control.
Out of print: No longer available from the publisher.
Out of sorts: Slightly unwell or irritable.
Out of sight, out of mind: If you don't see something, you don't think about it.
On top of: In addition to; in control of.
Take notice of: To pay attention to.
Full of beans: Energetic; lively.
Short of: Lacking; not having enough of.
To make a go of it: To succeed in an endeavor.
In favor of: Supporting or approving of something.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of of from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
