Present Definition & Meaning

American

British

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Etymology

Examples

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Synonyms present 1 American [prez-uhnt] / ˈprɛz ənt /

adjective

1. being, existing, or occurring at this time or now; current.

   increasing respect for the present ruler of the small country.

   Synonyms: extant Antonyms: absent

2. at this time; at hand; immediate.

   articles for present use.

3. Grammar. designating a verb tense, construction, or form used to refer to an action or state occurring at the time of speaking or writing: knows is a present form in He knows that.

4. being with one or others or in the specified or understood place.

   to be present at the wedding.

5. being here.

   Is everyone present?

6. existing or occurring in a place, thing, combination, or the like.

   Carbon is present in many minerals.

7. being actually here or under consideration.

   the present document;

   the present topic.

8. being in the mind; recollected.

   The memories were still present to her mind.

9. focused on or involved in what one is doing at a particular moment; attentive.

   When you’re talking to someone, be present instead of thinking about something else.

10. Obsolete. mentally alert and calm, especially in emergencies.

11. Obsolete. immediate or instant.

    present payment.

noun

1. the present time.

   She has one foot in the present and one foot in the future.

2. Grammar. present tense.

3. Law. presents, the present writings, or this document, used in a deed of conveyance, a lease, etc., to denote the document itself.

   Know all men by these presents that . . . .

4. Obsolete. the matter in hand.

idioms

1. at present, at the present time or moment; now.

   There are no job openings here at present.

2. for the present, for now; temporarily.

   For the present, we must be content with matters as they stand.

present 2 American [pri-zent, prez-uhnt] / prɪˈzɛnt, ˈprɛz ənt /

verb (used with object)

1. to furnish or endow with a gift or the like, especially by formal act.

   to present someone with a gold watch.

   Synonyms: donate, bestow

2. to bring, offer, or give, often in a formal or ceremonious way.

   You'll have to present your passport at the airport.

   Synonyms: proffer

3. afford or furnish (an opportunity, possibility, etc.).

   Synonyms: return, provide, produce

4. to hand over or submit, as a bill or a check, for payment.

   The waiter presented our bill for lunch.

5. to introduce (a person) to another, especially in a formal manner.

   Mrs. Smith, may I present Mr. Jones?

6. to bring before or introduce to the public.

   to present a new play.

7. to come to show (oneself) before a person, at a place, etc.

8. to show or exhibit.

   This theater will present films on a larger screen.

9. to bring forth or render for or before another or others; offer for consideration.

   to present an alternative plan.

   Synonyms: introduce

10. to set forth in words; frame or articulate.

    to present arguments.

11. to represent, impersonate, or act, as on the stage.

    Synonyms: enact

12. to direct, point, or turn (something) to something or someone.

    He presented his back to the audience.

13. to level or aim (a weapon, especially a firearm).

14. Law.

    1. to bring against, as a formal charge against a person.

    2. to bring formally to the notice of the proper authority, as an offense.

15. British Ecclesiastical. to offer or recommend (a member of the clergy) to the bishop to be granted a benefice.

verb (used without object)

1. Medicine/Medical.

   1. (of a fetus) to be visible at the cervix during labor.

      In a normal delivery, the baby’s head presents first.

   2. (of a medical condition) to be evident from the presence of certain symptoms.

      Depression often presents with disturbed sleep or appetite.

   3. (of a patient) to have a certain symptom or medical condition, especially as reported during a medical examination.

      A 22-year-old man presents with shortness of breath.

noun

1. a thing presented as a gift; gift.

   Christmas presents.

   Synonyms: gratuity, tip, grant, benefaction, donation, offering

present 1 British

verb

1. to introduce (a person) to another, esp to someone of higher rank

2. to introduce to the public

   to present a play

3. to introduce and compere (a radio or television show)

4. to show; exhibit

   he presented a brave face to the world

5. to put forward; submit

   she presented a proposal for a new book

6. to bring or suggest to the mind

   to present a problem

7. to give or award

   to present a prize

8. to endow with or as if with a gift or award

   to present a university with a foundation scholarship

9. to offer formally

   to present one's compliments

10. to offer or hand over for action or settlement

    to present a bill

11. to represent or depict in a particular manner

    the actor presented Hamlet as a very young man

12. to salute someone with (one's weapon) (usually in the phrase present arms )

13. to aim or point (a weapon)

14. to nominate (a clergyman) to a bishop for institution to a benefice in his diocese

15. to lay (a charge, etc) before a court, magistrate, etc, for consideration or trial

16. to bring a formal charge or accusation against (a person); indict

17. (of a grand jury) to take notice of (an offence) from personal knowledge or observation, before any bill of indictment has been drawn up

18. (intr) med to seek treatment for a particular symptom or problem

    she presented with postnatal depression

19. informal (intr) to produce a favourable, etc impression

    she presents well in public

    he presents as harmless but has poisoned his family

20. to appear, esp at a specific time and place

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. anything that is presented; a gift

2. to give someone something

   I'll make you a present of a new car

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 present 2 British / ˈprɛzənt /

adjective

1. (prenominal) in existence at the moment in time at which an utterance is spoken or written

2. (postpositive) being in a specified place, thing, etc

   the murderer is present in this room

3. (prenominal) now in consideration or under discussion

   the present topic

   the present author

4. grammar denoting a tense of verbs used when the action or event described is occurring at the time of utterance or when the speaker does not wish to make any explicit temporal reference

5. archaic readily available; instant

   present help is at hand

6. archaic mentally alert; attentive

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

noun

1. the time being; now

2. grammar

   1. the present tense

   2. a verb in this tense

3. at the moment; now

4. for the time being; temporarily

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 present More Idioms

1. see all present and accounted for; at present; for the moment (present); no time like the present.

Related Words

See give. Present, gift, donation, bonus refer to something freely given. Present and gift are both used of something given as an expression of affection, friendship, interest, or respect. Present is the less formal; gift is generally used of something conferred (especially with ceremony) on an individual, a group, or an institution: a birthday present; a gift to a bride. Donation applies to an important gift, most often of money and usually of considerable size, though the term is often used in speaking of small gifts to or for people who need help: a donation to an endowment fund, to the Red Cross. Bonus applies to something, again usually money, given in addition to what is due, especially to employees who have worked for a long time or particularly well: a bonus at the end of the year.

Other Word Forms

• presentness noun
• self-presented adjective
• unpresented adjective

Etymology

Origin of present1

First recorded in 1250–1300; (for the adjective) from Middle English present(e), presa(u)nt, from Old French present, from Latin praesent-, stem of praesēns “being present,” present participle of praeesse “to be present, be before others, preside, be in charge”; (for the noun) from Middle English present(e), presant “presence (in space or time),” partly derivative of the adjective, partly from Old French; pre-, essence

Origin of present2

First recorded 1200–50; Middle English noun present(e), presant, from Old French present, originally in phrase en present “in presence”; Middle English verb presenten, present(e), from Old French presenter, from Medieval Latin praesentāre “to give, show, present for approval,” Latin: “to exhibit (to the mind or senses),” derivative of praesēns; present 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Within the Assembly of Experts, however, there is understood to be a small committee tasked with reviewing and narrowing down names, potentially presenting a shortlist to the full body once formal proceedings begin.

From BBC

Singlet oxygen is another reactive oxygen species, named for its single electron spin state rather than the three spin states seen in the more stable oxygen molecules present in the air.

From Science Daily

The main houses showed several signs that young children had recently been present, including toys, clothes and notebook pages with the crude drawings of a grade-schooler.

From Los Angeles Times

AI presents a “serious civilizational challenge” that could cause “mass unemployment” and inequality, he wrote in a January essay.

From The Wall Street Journal

The findings presented are those of the researchers and not necessarily those of the funding agencies.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• cite
• declare
• display
• do
• give
• offer
• perform
• pose
• produce
• raise
• show
• stage
• submit
• suggest

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.