ex

1 of 8

noun (1)

: one that formerly held a specified position or place
especially : a former spouse or former partner in an intimate relationship

ex

2 of 8

noun (2)

: the letter x

ex

3 of 8

preposition

1
: out of : from: such as
a
: from a specified place or source
b
: from a specified dam
a promising calf by Eric XVI ex Heatherbell
2
: free from : without: such as
a
: without an indicated value or right
used especially of securities
b
: free of charges precedent to removal from the specified place with purchaser to provide means of subsequent transportation
ex dock

ex

4 of 8

abbreviation (1)

1
example
2
exchange
3
executive
4
express
5
extra

Ex

5 of 8

abbreviation (2)

Exodus

ex-

6 of 8

prefix (1)

e,
 also occurs in this prefix where only  i,
 is shown below (as in "express") and  ks,
 sometimes occurs where only  is shown (as in "exact") gz
1
: out of : outside
exclave
2
: not
exstipulate
3
(ˌ)eks,
ˈeks
: former
ex-president

ex-

7 of 8

combining form

see exo-

ex-

8 of 8

prefix (2)

variants or before consonants ec-
: out of : away : off
eccentric
ectopic

Examples of ex in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Among those who did, the most common regrets included not making a move sooner (17.3 percent), hooking up with an ex (6.5 percent), ghosting afterward (6.5 percent), catching feelings (4.9 percent), and cheating on a spouse (1.6 percent). Shelby Stewart, Essence, 9 Oct. 2024 This is where your clear and direct boundaries come into play with your ex and taking action to limit their access to you. Dominique Fluker, Essence, 27 Sep. 2024 There are fun cameos here, too, like Bell’s Veronica Mars co-star Ryan Hansen popping up as a sleazy ex of Joanne’s. Dave Nemetz, TVLine, 26 Sep. 2024 Then at the end of the third season, the writers threw Murphy an unexpected challenge: The character gets pregnant by her ex-husband. Harmeet Kaur, CNN, 22 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for ex 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ex.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

ex- entry 1

Preposition

Latin

Prefix (1)

borrowed from Latin ex- (before vowels and voiceless consonants), ē- (from *egz-, before voiced consonants), from ex, ē, preposition, "out of, from," going back to Indo-European *h1eḱ-s or *h1eǵh-s, whence also Old Irish a, as "out of, from," Middle Welsh ech, Greek ex, ek, Lithuanian ìš, ìž, Old Church Slavic iz (with unexplained i in Balto-Slavic); (sense 3) borrowed from Late Latin, as in exconsul "former consul," based on Latin ex in the sense "from being, having formerly held (an office)," as in ex assessōre praefectus praetōriī "advanced from the position of judge's assistant to commander of the Praetorian Guard" (Suetonius)

Prefix (2)

borrowed from Greek ex-, ek-, from ex, ek, preposition, "out of, from" — more at ex- entry 1

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1827, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1818, in the meaning defined above

Preposition

circa 1755, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ex was circa 1755

Dictionary Entries Near ex

Cite this Entry

“Ex.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ex. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

ex-

1 of 2 prefix
(ˌ)eks,
ˈeks
: former
ex-president

ex-

2 of 2
see exo-
Etymology

Prefix

from earlier ex- (prefix), from Latin ex- "out of, from"

Medical Definition

ex

abbreviation
1
examined
2
example
3
exercise

Legal Definition

ex-

1 of 2 prefix
: free from : without

Ex.

2 of 2 abbreviation
Exchequer
Etymology

Prefix

Latin ex from, out of

More from Merriam-Webster on ex

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