anent

preposition

\ə-ˈnent

\

Definition of anent

: about, concerning

Did You Know?

Anent looks like a rather old-fashioned word. It is, in fact, very old (an earlier sense of the word can be found in Beowulf, from approximately 800 A.D.), and at one point it was almost obsolete. It had nearly died out by the 17th century, but it was revived in the 19th century. Various usage commentators have decried "anent" as "affected" and "archaic." It is not archaic, however. Although "anent" is rarely found in speech, plenty of examples of current use can be found in written sources. Dead words do occasionally rise from the grave, and "anent" is one of them.

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Dictionary Entries near anent

an end in itself

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Time Traveler for anent

The first known use of anent was in the 13th century

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tergiversation

evasion of direct action or statement

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