present
adjective · noun · verb
Simple meaning
About now, for the time being.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
prehzuhntSay the bold part a little louder.
noun: prezuhntadjective: prezuhntverb: prihzent
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈpɹɛzənt
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
adjective
Relating to now, for the time being; current.
Relating to something a person is referring to in the very context, with a deictic use similar to the demonstrative adjective this.
Located in the immediate vicinity.
Attentive; alert; focused.
noun
The current moment or period of time.
A gift, especially one given for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, or any other special occasions.
verb
To bring (someone) into the presence of (a person); to introduce formally.
transitive
To offer (a problem, complaint) to a court or other authority for consideration.
reflexive
To come forward, appear in a particular place or before a particular person, especially formally.
transitive
To put (something) forward in order for it to be seen; to show, exhibit.
transitive
To make clear to one's mind or intelligence; to put forward for consideration.
transitive
To put on, stage (a play etc.).
Word at a Glance
- Difficulty
- A1 · Beginner
- Frequency
- Very Common
- Typical Use
- Everyday English
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Relating to now, for the time being; current.
Used this way, present is a reasonably familiar word that usually carries little praise or criticism of its own. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Neutral
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Not strongly marked
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- No strong connotation
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use present
- “The commencement speaker presented a forceful speech that impressed the students.”verb
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Common Patterns and Combinations
How this word naturally appears with others.
Word Family
Related forms, grouped by how they connect.
Inflected forms
Grammatical variations of the same word.
Someone who presents a message of some sort (as a petition or an address or a check or a memorial etc.).
Word family
Words built from the same root.
The activity of formally presenting something (as a prize or reward).
In the near future.
Compound terms
Established multiword terms.
A verb tense that expresses actions or states at the time of speaking.
The circumstances and ideas of the present age.
At this time.
A participle expressing present action.
A perfective tense used to express action completed in the present.
A perfective tense used to express action completed in the present.
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.