FROM | Meaning, Definition In Cambridge English Dictionary

Meaning of from in English frompreposition uk strong /frɒm/ weak /frəm/ us strong /frʌm/ weak /frəm/

from preposition (PLACE)

Add to word list Add to word list A1 used to show the place where someone or something starts: What time does the flight from Amsterdam arrive? The wind is coming from the north. She sent me a postcard from Bermuda. He took a handkerchief from his pocket. She took her hairbrush from her handbag and began to brush her hair. So did you really walk all the way from Smith Street?

• I've just come from work.
• She took a letter out from her bag.
• We've walked all the way from Cheylesmore.
• She rang me from home.
• He sent me a card from Spain.

From, out and outside

• al fresco
• breath
• door
• exogenous
• exterior
• exteriority
• extrinsically
• for external use
• forth
• indigenous
• inside
• inside out idiom
• outdoorsman
• outdoorswoman
• outdoorsy
• outer
• outermost
• outside
• thence
• therefrom

See more results »

from preposition (TIME)

A1 used to show the time when something starts or the time when it was made or first existed: Drinks will be served from seven o'clock. The price of petrol will rise by 5p a gallon from tomorrow. Most of the tapestries in this room date from the 17th century.from something to something The museum is open from 9.30am to 6.00pm Tuesday to Sunday.  from that day/time on C1 literary (also from that day/time onwards, US from that day/time onward) starting at that time and then continuing: From that day on, she vowed never to trust him again. See more

• I'll be at home from four o'clock onwards.
• We'll be there from the beginning of March to the end of May.
• The oldest part of the church dates from the 13th century.
• Most of the shops are open from nine o'clock onwards.
• From tomorrow every expense form that you submit must first be signed by Roger.

Starting from a particular time

• all along the line idiom
• as
• as of/from idiom
• count
• cut
• cut in phrasal verb
• date
• date back phrasal verb
• date back to something
• date from something phrasal verb
• forward
• from then on idiom
• henceforth
• hereafter
• hereinafter
• in future phrase
• line
• live
• then
• thereafter

See more results »

from preposition (DISTANCE)

A1 used to show the distance between two places: from something to something It's about two kilometres from the airport to your hotel. We're about a mile from home.

• My office is about a mile from here.
• I have shops two minutes from my front door.
• It's about half a kilometre from your hotel to the town centre.
• He lives five minutes from here.
• We're still over 50 miles from Cambridge.

From, out and outside

• al fresco
• breath
• door
• exogenous
• exterior
• exteriority
• extrinsically
• for external use
• forth
• indigenous
• inside
• inside out idiom
• outdoorsman
• outdoorswoman
• outdoorsy
• outer
• outermost
• outside
• thence
• therefrom

See more results »

from preposition (ORIGIN)

A1 used to show the origin of something or someone: "Where are you from?" "I'm from Italy." I wonder who this card is from. Could I speak to someone from the sales department? She keeps in touch with her friends from college. What sort of reaction did you get from him?

• He's from Portugal.
• I'm from Brighton originally.
• I spoke to someone from the marketing department.
• I thought she was from Albania.
• Most of their furniture is from Italy.

From, out and outside

• al fresco
• breath
• door
• exogenous
• exterior
• exteriority
• extrinsically
• for external use
• forth
• indigenous
• inside
• inside out idiom
• outdoorsman
• outdoorswoman
• outdoorsy
• outer
• outermost
• outside
• thence
• therefrom

See more results »

from preposition (MATERIAL)

A2 used to show the material of which something is made: The desk is made from pine. Meringues are made from sugar and egg whites.

• Early pottery was made from earth and animal waste.
• French law allows only wine made from grapes in the Champagne region to be labelled champagne.
• They sell clothes made from hemp.
• Even the shoe box is made from recycled paper.
• They were the first British firm to start selling fleecy jackets made from recycled polyester.

Comprising and consisting of

• be
• compose
• composition
• compositional
• compositionally
• comprise
• consist in something phrasal verb
• consist of something phrasal verb
• constituent
• constituent part
• constitute
• constitution
• constitutive
• form
• made of something
• make
• make something up phrasal verb
• multi-component
• of

from preposition (LEVEL)

used to show the level at which a range of things begins, such as numbers or prices: Prices start from £2.99.from something to something Tickets will cost from $10 to $45. The number of people employed by the company has risen from 25 to 200 in three years.

• Prices range from £8000 to £10,000 depending on the model.
• Flights cost from $300 to $400.
• Replacements can cost anything from a hundred pounds to three hundred pounds.
• The population has fallen from three million to just under two and a half million in the last 30 years.
• Prices start from £4,500.

Beginnings and starts

• a baptism of/by fire idiom
• advent
• baptism
• beginning
• birth
• clean slate
• go/be back to square one idiom
• inauspicious start
• inception
• initiation
• institution
• introduction
• recommencement
• seed
• starter
• starting date
• starting point
• starting time
• the thin end of the wedge idiom
• thin

See more results »

from preposition (CHANGE)

B2 used to show a change in the state of someone or something: from something to something Things went from bad to worse. The story was translated from Turkish to English. Since the success of her first play, she has gone from strength to strength (= her success has continued to increase).

• She went from a size 18 to a size 12 in six months.
• He went from 15 stone to 13 stone.
• Pretty much overnight she went from being an office worker to an international star.
• She went from being an ordinary looking woman to being a great sex symbol.
• He was promoted from sales rep to area sales manager within the space of eight months.

Changing

• about turn! idiom
• about-face
• alterable
• altered
• alternate
• ambidextrous
• churn
• goalpost
• make an about-face
• make an about-turn
• make something into something phrasal verb
• malleable
• meta
• mutate
• retool
• reversible
• reversibly
• revolutionize
• rollback
• transcribe

See more results »

from preposition (CAUSE)

B2 used to show the cause of something or the reason why something happens: He was rushed to hospital but died from his injuries. She made her money from investing in property. You could tell she wasn't lying from the fear in her voice. Wearing the correct type of clothing will reduce the risk from radiation.

• Deaths from heart disease continue to rise every year.
• He was rushed to hospital suffering from severe burns.
• The number of deaths from road accidents continues to rise.
• She made a lot of money from property.
• He made a fortune from sales of the book.

Linguistics: connecting words which introduce a cause or reason

• as
• at
• case
• courtesy
• cuz
• dint
• due
• except
• except that idiom
• herein
• inasmuch as
• light
• necessarily
• now
• since
• thanks to someone/something idiom
• that
• thing
• view
• with a view to doing something idiom

See more results »

from preposition (CONSIDERING)

used to show the facts or opinions you consider before making a judgment or decision: Just from looking at the clouds, I would say it's going to rain. It's difficult to guess what they will conclude from the evidence.

• From her face this morning I'd say she's fairly unhappy.
• From what he said this morning I'd say there's little hope.
• Judging from last last week's performance I don't think they stand a chance.
• From looking at these figures, I'd say we're in trouble.
• What did they deduce from the evidence?

Analysing and evaluating

• adjudication
• analysable
• analyse
• analyser
• analyst
• appraise
• calculus
• dissect
• grounded theory
• have the measure of someone/something idiom
• inquest
• inspect
• inspection
• interpret something as something
• interrogate
• reappraise
• reattribute
• reattribution
• regrade
• reinspect

See more results »

from preposition (REMOVE)

used to show that someone has left a place, or that something has been removed or taken away: They were exiled from their homes during the war. Her handbag was snatched from her in the street. A refining process is used to extract usable fuel from crude oil. If you take a smaller amount from a larger amount, you reduce the larger amount by the smaller one: When you subtract 3 from 16 you get 13.

• I've brought this in from home.
• He took a knife from the drawer.
• Her baby was taken from her.
• We borrowed some money from my father.
• Two from ten equals eight.

Backwards, sideways and back and forth

• anticlockwise
• aside
• back and forth idiom
• back to front phrase
• backward
• backwardly
• hither and thither idiom
• laterad
• lateral
• laterally
• libration
• reverse
• round
• saw
• stand
• step
• step aside phrasal verb
• swept-back
• take someone aside phrasal verb
• there and back idiom

See more results »

You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Addition, subtraction, multiplication & division

from preposition (DIFFERENCE)

B1 used to show a difference between two people or things: His opinion could hardly be more different from mine. The two sisters are so similar that it's almost impossible to tell one from the other.

• University is very different from school.
• She's very different from her brother.
• In what ways is your jacket different from mine?
• Somehow the experience was different from how I'd imagined it.
• Her attitude is very different from mine.

Different and difference

• altered
• alterity
• alternative
• anomalous
• another
• disparate
• disparately
• disparity
• dissimilar
• dissimilarly
• magic
• make a change
• make a distinction between something
• make the difference idiom
• misc.
• unrecognizable
• unrecognizably
• unreflective
• unrepresentative
• unrepresentativeness

See more results »

from preposition (POSITION)

B2 used to show the position of something in comparison with other things, or the point of view of someone when considering a matter or problem: From the restaurant there is a beautiful view of the ocean. She was talking from her own experience of the problem. From our point of view, we do not see how these changes will be beneficial to the company.

• You can see the school from our bedroom window.
• I can see her back from where I sit.
• The view from the top was spectacular.
• From my point of view of course it would be extremely advantageous.
• From his perspective I dare say it sounds like a good idea.

From, out and outside

• al fresco
• breath
• door
• exogenous
• exterior
• exteriority
• extrinsically
• for external use
• forth
• indigenous
• inside
• inside out idiom
• outdoorsman
• outdoorswoman
• outdoorsy
• outer
• outermost
• outside
• thence
• therefrom

See more results »

from preposition (PROTECTION)

used to show what someone is being protected against: They found shelter from the storm under a large oak tree.

• It gives you immunity from all three diseases.
• This sort of clothing provides better protection from the elements.
• Those trees are better protected from the wind.
• We tried to find shelter from the rain.
• Vitamins are supposed to boost your immunity from infections.

From, out and outside

• al fresco
• breath
• door
• exogenous
• exterior
• exteriority
• extrinsically
• for external use
• forth
• indigenous
• inside
• inside out idiom
• outdoorsman
• outdoorswoman
• outdoorsy
• outer
• outermost
• outside
• thence
• therefrom

See more results »

from preposition (PREVENTING)

B2 used to show what someone is not allowed to do or know, or what has been stopped happening: He's been banned from driving for six months. For many years, the truth was kept from the public. The bank loan saved her company from bankruptcy.

• My mother stopped me from going out.
• It stops you from getting too drunk.
• It's preventing us from making progress.
• He's been banned from the area.
• It was a little secret that I kept from him all those years.

From, out and outside

• al fresco
• breath
• door
• exogenous
• exterior
• exteriority
• extrinsically
• for external use
• forth
• indigenous
• inside
• inside out idiom
• outdoorsman
• outdoorswoman
• outdoorsy
• outer
• outermost
• outside
• thence
• therefrom

See more results »

Grammar

FromFrom is a preposition. … Starting pointWe use from to show the time or point in time when something starts: … OriginWe use from to refer to the place where someone or something starts or originates: … From … toWe use from … to to talk about ranges of different things: … (Definition of from from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

from | American Dictionary

frompreposition us /frʌm, frɑm, frəm/

from preposition (PLACE)

Add to word list Add to word list used to show the place where someone or something starts moving or traveling: He took a handkerchief from his pocket. She ran away from home. The boy cried and cried, rocking from side to side (= to the left and right).

from preposition (TIME)

used to show the time when something starts or the time when it was made or first existed: Here’s a song from the 60s. I’m leaving a week from Thursday (= one week after Thursday). The class ends at 2:30 and from then on (= starting at that time and then continuing) I’ll be at the library.

from preposition (DISTANCE)

used to show the distance between two places: We’re about a mile from home.

from preposition (ORIGIN)

used to show the origin of something or someone: I heard music coming from my room. Someone from the bank just called. Where are you from? US Route 1 runs from Maine to Florida.

from preposition (MATERIAL)

used to show the material of which something is made: The desk is made from pine.

from preposition (RANGE)

used to show where a range of numbers, prices, or items begins: Tickets will cost from $10 to $45. Everyone from the oldest to the youngest had a good time.

from preposition (CHANGE)

used to show the original state of someone or something that is changing or has changed: She has been promoted from manager to vice president. Things went from bad to worse.

from preposition (CAUSE)

used to show the cause of something or the reason why something happens: Your child will benefit from piano lessons.

from preposition (CONSIDER)

used to show the facts or opinions you consider before making a judgment or decision: From looking at the clouds, I would say it’s going to rain later. It’s cheap, but not very good from a quality standpoint.

from preposition (REDUCE)

used to show that a larger amount is being reduced by a smaller amount: Three from sixteen is thirteen.

from preposition (DIFFERENCE)

used to show a difference between two people or things: It’s hard to tell one sister from the other.

from preposition (PROTECTION)

used to show what someone is being protected against: They found shelter from the storm under a large oak tree.

from preposition (PREVENTION)

used to show what someone cannot do or know, or what cannot happen: High rents keep us from moving to a larger apartment.

Idioms

come from the heart from A to Z from far and wide from head to toe from one day to the next from scratch from the bottom of your heart (straight) from the horse’s mouth from time to time from top to bottom (Definition of from from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) What is the pronunciation of from?

Translations of from

in Chinese (Traditional) 地點, （表示起始點）從…開始，始於, 時間… See more in Chinese (Simplified) 地点, （表示起始点）从…开始，始于, 时间… See more in Spanish de, desde, a partir de… See more in Portuguese desde, de, por… See more in Marathi in Japanese in Turkish in French in Catalan in Dutch in Tamil in Hindi in Gujarati in Danish in Swedish in Malay in German in Norwegian in Urdu in Ukrainian in Telugu in Bengali in Czech in Indonesian in Thai in Vietnamese in Polish in Korean in Italian पासून, कडून, कोणीतरी किंवा काहीतरी जेथून सुरू होते ते दर्शविणारे ठिकाण… See more （場所）から, （時間）から, ～出身の… See more ... den/dan, (bir yerden) oralı, ...den/dan olan/gelen… See more de, à partir de, de la part de… See more des de, (des) de, de… See more van, uit, weg van… See more யாரோ அல்லது ஏதாவது தொடங்கும் இடத்தைக் காட்ட பயன்படுகிறது, ஏதாவது தொடங்கும் நேரத்தை அல்லது அது தயாரிக்கப்பட்ட அல்லது முதலில் இருந்த நேரத்தைக் காட்ட பயன்படுகிறது, இரண்டு இடங்களுக்கு இடையிலான தூரத்தைக் காட்ட பயன்படுகிறது… See more (किसी स्थान) से शुरू, से / कुछ शुरू होने या उसके निर्माण का समय दर्शाने के लिए प्रयुक्त, से / दो जगहों के बीच की दूरी को दिखाने के लिए प्रयुक्त… See more થી, માંથી, કોઈક વસ્તુ ક્યારથી શરૂ થશે અથવા કયા સમયે બનાવવામાં આવી હતી કે પ્રથમ ક્યારે અસ્તિત્વમાં આવી તે દર્શાવવા વપરાય છે.… See more fra, af… See more från, av, ifrån… See more dari, daripada, kerana… See more von, an… See more fra, av, i… See more سے, کسی سے متعلق ہونا, سے بنا ہوا… See more з, від… See more నుండి/ ఎవరిదైనా లేదా దేనిదైనా స్థితిలో మార్పును చూపించడానికి వాడేది, చేత / దేనికైనా కారణం లేదా ఏదైనా జరగడానికి కారణాన్ని చూపించడానికి వాడేది, నుండి… See more থেকে, শুরু থেকে জায়গাটি দেখাতে ব্যবহৃত হয় যেখানে কেউ বা কিছু শুরু হয়, কোনোকিছু কখন শুরু হয় বা যেসময়ে সেটি তৈরি হয়েছিল অথবা প্রথম তা দেখা গিয়েছিল বোঝাতে ব্যবহৃত অভিব্যক্তি… See more z, od, z(e)… See more dari, karena… See more ตั้งแต่, มาจาก, แยกจาก… See more từ, có nguồn gốc từ đâu, chỉ ra sự chia ly… See more od, z, przed… See more (장소)-에서 부터, (시간)-부터, -출신의… See more da, di, per… See more Need a translator?

Get a quick, free translation!

Translator tool

Browse

frolic frolicked frolicking frolicsome from from (the) cradle to (the) grave idiom from a place of idiom from a standing start idiom from A to B idiom {{#randomImageQuizHook.filename}} {{#randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} Test your vocabulary with our fun image quizzes Try a quiz now {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{^randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.isQuiz}} {{/randomImageQuizHook.filename}}

More meanings of from

• from afar
• exempt from something
• flight from something
• different from someone/something
• distinct from something
• divorced from something
• fallout from something

See all meanings

Word of the Day

nothing to sneeze at

something that deserves serious attention, esp. an amount of money

About this

Blog

Walk a mile in my shoes (Words about empathy)

March 11, 2026 Read More

New Words

fail watching March 09, 2026 More new words has been added to list To top AI Assistant Contents EnglishAmericanTranslations AI Assistant {{#displayLoginPopup}} Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Learn more with +Plus

Sign up for free and get access to exclusive content: Free word lists and quizzes from Cambridge Tools to create your own word lists and quizzes Word lists shared by our community of dictionary fans Sign up now or Log in Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Learn more with +Plus

Create word lists and quizzes for free Sign up now or Log in {{/displayLoginPopup}} {{#displayClassicSurvey}} {{/displayClassicSurvey}}

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
• My profile
• +Plus help
• Log out

AI Assistant Dictionary Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English Translations Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Bilingual Dictionaries English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English English–Danish Danish–English English–Dutch Dutch–English English–French French–English English–German German–English English–Indonesian Indonesian–English English–Italian Italian–English English–Japanese Japanese–English English–Norwegian Norwegian–English English–Polish Polish–English English–Portuguese Portuguese–English English–Spanish Spanish–English English–Swedish Swedish–English Semi-bilingual Dictionaries English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Gujarati English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Urdu English–Vietnamese Translate Grammar Thesaurus Pronunciation Cambridge Dictionary +Plus Games {{userName}}

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus
• My profile
• +Plus help
• Log out

Log in / Sign up English (UK) Change English (UK) English (US) Español Português 中文 (简体) 正體中文 (繁體) Dansk Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt Svenska Українська 日本語 한국어 ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు বাঙ্গালি मराठी हिंदी Follow us Choose a dictionary

• Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
• Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
• Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
• Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
• Translation Click on the arrows to change the translation direction. Bilingual Dictionaries
  • English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
  • English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
  • English–Danish Danish–English
  • English–Dutch Dutch–English
  • English–French French–English
  • English–German German–English
  • English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
  • English–Italian Italian–English
  • English–Japanese Japanese–English
  • English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
  • English–Polish Polish–English
  • English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
  • English–Spanish Spanish–English
  • English–Swedish Swedish–English
  Semi-bilingual Dictionaries English–Arabic English–Bengali English–Catalan English–Czech English–Gujarati English–Hindi English–Korean English–Malay English–Marathi English–Russian English–Tamil English–Telugu English–Thai English–Turkish English–Ukrainian English–Urdu English–Vietnamese
• Dictionary +Plus Word Lists

Choose your language English (UK) English (US) Español Português 中文 (简体) 正體中文 (繁體) Dansk Deutsch Français Italiano Nederlands Norsk Polski Русский Türkçe Tiếng Việt Svenska Українська 日本語 한국어 ગુજરાતી தமிழ் తెలుగు বাঙ্গালি मराठी हिंदी Contents

• English   
  • Preposition 
    • from (PLACE)
    • from (TIME)
    • from that day/time on
    • from (DISTANCE)
    • from (ORIGIN)
    • from (MATERIAL)
    • from (LEVEL)
    • from (CHANGE)
    • from (CAUSE)
    • from (CONSIDERING)
    • from (REMOVE)
    • from (DIFFERENCE)
    • from (POSITION)
    • from (PROTECTION)
    • from (PREVENTING)
• American   
  • Preposition 
    • from (PLACE)
    • from (TIME)
    • from (DISTANCE)
    • from (ORIGIN)
    • from (MATERIAL)
    • from (RANGE)
    • from (CHANGE)
    • from (CAUSE)
    • from (CONSIDER)
    • from (REDUCE)
    • from (DIFFERENCE)
    • from (PROTECTION)
    • from (PREVENTION)

• Translations
• Grammar
• All translations

My word lists

To add from to a word list please sign up or log in.

Sign up or Log in My word lists

Add from to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

Something went wrong.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{name}} More Go to your word lists {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

Something went wrong.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} Tell us about this example sentence: The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! Your feedback will be reviewed. {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

There was a problem sending your report.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}} The word in the example sentence does not match the entry word. The sentence contains offensive content. Cancel Submit Thanks! Your feedback will be reviewed. {{#verifyErrors}}

{{message}}

{{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{#message}}

{{message}}

{{/message}} {{^message}}

There was a problem sending your report.

{{/message}} {{/verifyErrors}}