Without means lacking something or not having it. When you go to school without your lunch, you don't have it with you. When someone finishes a race without stopping, they complete it from start to finish with no breaks.

The word describes absence or the state of being free from something. A day without rain is a dry day. A house without electricity has no power. You might solve a math problem without a calculator, meaning you figured it out using only your own thinking.

Without often appears in phrases that show what's missing or what you're managing to do despite not having something. A student who succeeds without much help demonstrates independence. A garden growing without pesticides relies on natural methods instead of chemicals.

The opposite of without is with. If you can do something without help, you can do it alone. If you go without complaining, you endure a difficult situation without grumbling. The word helps us describe both what we lack and what we can accomplish even when we lack it.