an

1
[ uhn; when stressed an ]
See synonyms for an on Thesaurus.com
indefinite article
  1. the form of a before an initial vowel sound (an arch; an honor) and sometimes, especially in British English, before an initial unstressed syllable beginning with a silent or weakly pronounced h: an historian.

Origin of an

1
before 950; Middle English; Old English ānone in a weakened sense

Grammar notes for an

See a1.

Other definitions for an (2 of 11)

an2
[ uhn; when stressed an ]

conjunction
  1. Informal. and.

  2. Archaic. if.

Origin of an

2
First recorded in 1125–75; Middle English, unstressed phonetic variant of and
  • Also an', 'n, 'n'.

Other definitions for An (3 of 11)

An
[ ahn ]

noun
  1. the Sumerian god of heaven: the counterpart of the Akkadian Anu.

Other definitions for An (4 of 11)

An

Symbol, Chemistry.
  1. actinon.

Other definitions for AN (5 of 11)

AN

abbreviation

Other definitions for an- (6 of 11)

an-1

  1. a prefix occurring before stems beginning with a vowel or h in loanwords from Greek, where it means “not,” “without,” “lacking” (anarchy; anecdote); used in the formation of compound words: anelectric.

Origin of an-

6
<Greek. See a-6, in-3, un-1
  • Also before a consonant, a-.

Other definitions for an- (7 of 11)

an-2

  1. variant of ad- before n: announce.

Other definitions for an- (8 of 11)

an-3

  1. variant of ana- before a vowel: anion.

Other definitions for -an (9 of 11)

-an

  1. a suffix occurring originally in adjectives borrowed from Latin, formed from nouns denoting places (Roman; urban) or persons (Augustan), and now productively forming English adjectives by extension of the Latin pattern. Attached to geographic names, it denotes provenance or membership (American; Chicagoan; Tibetan), the latter sense now extended to membership in social classes, religious denominations, etc., in adjectives formed from various kinds of noun bases (Episcopalian; pedestrian; Puritan; Republican) and membership in zoological taxa (acanthocephalan; crustacean). Attached to personal names, it has the additional senses “contemporary with” (Elizabethan; Jacobean) or “proponent of” (Hegelian; Freudian) the person specified by the noun base. The suffix -an, and its variant -ian also occurs in a set of personal nouns, mainly loanwords from French, denoting one who engages in, practices, or works with the referent of the base noun (comedian; grammarian; historian; theologian); this usage is especially productive with nouns ending in -ic (electrician; logician; technician). See -ian for relative distribution with that suffix.

Origin of -an

9
Middle English <Latin -ānus, -āna, -ānum; in some words replacing -ain, -en<Old French <Latin

Other definitions for an. (10 of 11)

an.

abbreviation
  1. in the year.

Origin of an.

10
From the Latin word annō

Other definitions for A.N. (11 of 11)

A.N.

abbreviation
  1. Anglo-Norman.

  2. Associate in Nursing.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use an in a sentence

  • They had searched Mortlake House for Alice, and that vain quest had not wasted more than half-an-hour.

    Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
  • On the first day's journey toward Chang-an-sa the party made good progress.

    Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
  • Passing through the gate, our friends found themselves at once in the midst of the Chang-an-sa monastery buildings.

    Our Little Korean Cousin | H. Lee M. Pike
  • It was the merest baby—half-an-ounce, perhaps—and it fell from the hook into the herbage some yards from the stream.

    Uncanny Tales | Various
  • In half-an-hour he was sound asleep, and a dead silence reigned in Azalea Lodge.

British Dictionary definitions for an (1 of 8)

an1

/ (æn, unstressed ən) /


determiner
  1. a form of the indefinite article used before an initial vowel sound: an old car; an elf; an honour

Origin of an

1
Old English ān one

usage For an

An was formerly often used before words that begin with h and are unstressed on the first syllable: an hotel; an historic meeting . Sometimes the initial h was not pronounced. This usage is now becoming obsolete

British Dictionary definitions for an (2 of 8)

an2

an'

/ (æn, unstressed ən) /


conjunction
  1. (subordinating) an obsolete or dialect word for if See and (def. 9)

British Dictionary definitions for an (3 of 8)

an3

the internet domain name for
  1. Netherlands Antilles

British Dictionary definitions for An (4 of 8)

An1

/ (ɑːn) /


noun
  1. myth the Sumerian sky god: Babylonian counterpart: Anu

British Dictionary definitions for An (5 of 8)

An2

the chemical symbol for
  1. actinon

British Dictionary definitions for AN (6 of 8)

AN

abbreviation for
  1. Anglo-Norman

British Dictionary definitions for an- (7 of 8)

an-

prefix
  1. not; without: anaphrodisiac

Origin of an-

7
from Greek

British Dictionary definitions for -an (8 of 8)

-an

suffix
  1. (forming adjectives and nouns) belonging to or relating to; a person belonging to or coming from: European

  2. (forming adjectives and nouns) typical of or resembling; a person typical of: Elizabethan

  1. (forming adjectives and nouns) adhering to or following; an adherent of: Christian

  2. (forming nouns) a person who specializes or is expert in: dietitian; phonetician

Origin of -an

8
from Latin -ānus, suffix of adjectives

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012