ことなく

こ

と

な

く

Meanings

usually written using kana alone

Adverbial use meaning that something proceeds without trouble, accident, or notable events. Often used with verbs of movement or completion.

長ながい旅たびだったが、ことなく目もく的てき地ちに着ついた。
It was a long journey, but we arrived at our destination without incident.
手しゅ術じゅつはことなく終おわった。
The surgery ended uneventfully.

suffix

without doing ...; without ...

usually written using kana alone

Suffix-like use attaching to the dictionary form of a verb to mean 'without doing that action'. Equivalent to ～ないで or ～ずに, but more literary and formal.

彼かれは休やすむことなく働はたらき続つづけた。
He kept working without resting.
諦あきらめることなく挑ちょう戦せんしなさい。
Keep trying without giving up.

Grammar

ことなく・ことなしにwithout ever doingN2

Kanji

事matter, thing, fact
無nothingness, none, ain't

Related words

無ぶ事じに
無事に is a common adverb meaning 'safely' or 'without incident', similar to sense 1 of ことなく, but ことなく is more literary and less common in everyday speech.
ずに
～ずに is a negative verb suffix meaning 'without doing', similar to sense 2 of ことなく, but ずに is more common in modern Japanese, while ことなく is more formal and often found in written language.

Written forms

事こと無なく
Kanji form is rare and literary; learners should prefer the kana spelling.
事ことなく
Mixed kanji-kana variant; rare and not recommended for active use.
こと無なく
Mixed kana-kanji variant; rare and not recommended for active use.

Etymology

Derived from the noun 事 (こと, 'thing, matter') + the adverbial form of the negative adjective 無い (ない, 'not exist'). Literally 'without a thing (happening)', it grammaticalized into a suffix meaning 'without doing'.