Exes Is the Plural of a Prefix Turned Noun
Exes are former partners. English turned a Latin prefix into a standalone word and then made it plural.
Exes is the plural of *ex*, meaning a former partner. The formation is unusual: *ex-* is a Latin prefix meaning out of or former, and English detached it, made it a noun, and then gave it a regular plural. Prefixes rarely survive on their own — this one did because *ex-husband* and *ex-wife* were shortened so often. Latin *ex* meant out of, and survives whole in *exit*, which literally means he or she goes out.
- Former partners. *Both her exes.*
- A former partner. *My ex.*
- The prefix. *Ex-president.*
- Expenses (informal). *Claim your exes.*
- Latin — *ex*, out of. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | ex | An ex. |
| Plural | exes | Exes. |
| Prefix | ex- | Ex-wife. |
| Related | exit | An exit. |
| Latin | ex | Out of. |
- She still speaks to her exes.Plural.
- An ex-president attended.Prefix.
- Ex means out of.Etymology.
Prefixes that became words
- Ex — a former partner
- Pro — a professional, or an argument in favour
- Con — an argument against
- Anti — an opponent
- Ultra — an extremist, especially in politics
From the prefix *ex-*, from Latin *ex*, out of or from, used alone as a noun from the 1800s.
Is exes a real word?
Yes. Ex became a noun in its own right in the 1800s and takes a regular plural, exes.
Which other prefixes became words?
Pro, con, anti and ultra all stand alone as nouns, though ex is the most common in everyday speech.