Ex-
/ɛks/noun
A prefix meaning “out of,” “from,” “former,” or sometimes indicating removal or reversal.
Did you know?The prefix comes from an ancient Indo-European word for “out,” and Latin used related forms such as e- and ef- depending on the following sound.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*eǵhs
“Out of, from, beyond”
Ancient Greek
Greek
ex
“Out of, away from; the source of Greek compounds such as exodos, “a way out””
Classical Latin
Latin
ex
“Out of, from, beyond; also used as a productive prefix”
Old French
Old French
es- / ex-
“A prefix expressing removal, separation, or movement outward”
16th Century
English
ex-
“Adopted widely in English scholarly and technical formations, meaning “out of” or “from””
18th Century
English
ex-
“Developed the modern standalone sense “former,” as in ex-husband or ex-soldier”