- in place of; instead of: to use blankets for coats
- as the representative of; in the interest of: acting for another
- in defense of; in favor of: fight for our cause; vote for the levy
- in honor of: to give a banquet for someone
- with the aim or for the purpose of: to carry a gun for protection
- for the purpose of going to: he left for home
- in order to be, become, get, have, keep, etc.: to walk for exercise, to fight for one's life
- in search of: to look for a lost article
- meant to be received by (a specified person or thing), or to be used in (a specified way): flowers for Mother, money for paying bills
- suitable to; appropriate to: a room for sleeping
- with regard to; as regards; concerning: a need for improvement, an ear for music, a desire for power
- as being: I know it for a fact
- considering the general nature of: cool for July, clever for a child
- because of; as a result of: to cry for pain
- in proportion to; corresponding to: two dollars spent for every dollar earned
- to the amount of; equal to [a bill for $50]: when preceded and followed by the same noun, for indicates equality between things being compared or contrasted (dollar for dollar)
- at the price or by the payment of: sold for $20,000
- in exchange with respect to: our thanks for your help
- to the length, duration, or extent of; throughout; through: to walk for an hour
- at (a specified time): an appointment for two o'clock
- Obsolete before
Origin:
ME < OE, akin to Ger für & Du ver- < IE base *per- > L per-, pro-, prae-, Gr pro, Sans pári
conjunction
because; seeing that; since: more formal than because and used to introduce evidence or explanation for an immediately preceding statement: comfort him, for he is sad