sans
/sænz/
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Without; lacking; especially with regard to something expected or with precedent.
PrepositionRegister: humorous, literary
Examples
Bero[wne]. […] And to begin Wench, ſo God helpe me law,
My loue to thee is ſound, ſance cracke or flaw.
Roſa[line]. Sans, ſans, I pray you.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “sans” mean?
Without; lacking; especially with regard to something expected or with precedent.
Is “sans” formal or informal?
sans is generally humorous, literary.