What does arear mean?
'Arear' is an archaic English adverb meaning 'toward the rear' or 'behind,' used to describe movement or position at the back of a body of people, troops, or vehicles. Formed with the old prefix 'a-' (meaning 'in' or 'on') attached to 'rear,' it belongs to a family of directional adverbs like 'aback' and 'abaft' that once gave English precise vocabulary for spatial orientation. In practice it appeared chiefly in military contexts, describing forces that lagged behind a column or attacked from behind, and its usage faded as such formations became less central to everyday life. Today 'arear' survives almost exclusively in historical fiction, antiquarian prose, and dictionaries of obsolete terms, where it lends an authentic period flavor. Readers encountering it should understand it simply as the opposite of advancing ahead: to be arear is to be at the back, trailing the line.
adverbArchaic: toward the rear; behind; backward.
- Toward the rear; behind; in a backward direction (archaic)
"The rearguard held the pass while the main force fell arear."
"The cavalry wheeled and charged arear upon the enemy's flank."
"The stragglers trailed arear along the mountain road, far from the vanguard."
Before 'rearview mirror' existed, English speakers simply said you were 'arear' — a word that quietly vanished as driving replaced marching.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arear
'Arear' derives from Middle English, formed by prefixing 'a-' (from Old French 'a-', indicating position 'in' or 'at') to 'rear,' the word for the back part of an army or procession, which itself came from Old French 'riere' (ultimately Latin 'retro,' 'backward'). It thus shares deep roots with 'rearward,' 'rearguard,' and 'arrear.' The word was current in English from the medieval period into roughly the seventeenth century before falling out of common use.
How arear is actually used
A rare, archaic word found mainly in historical and military writing; it survives only in older texts and should not be used in modern prose without deliberate stylistic intent.
Easily confused with arear
'Arrears' is a noun referring to unpaid debts or overdue work, while 'arear' is an archaic adverb meaning behind or toward the rear.