present

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See also: présent

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Alternative forms

  • præsent (archaic or pedantic)
  • (abbreviation, grammar): ps.

Pronunciation

  • (adjective, noun)
    • enPR: prĕzʹənt, IPA(key): /ˈpɹɛzənt/
    • Audio (US)(file)
    • Hyphenation: pres‧ent
    • Rhymes: -ɛzənt
  • (verb)

Etymology 1

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

From Middle English present, from Old French present, from Latin praesent-, praesens, present participle of praeesse (“to be present”), from Latin prae- (“pre-”) + esse (“to be”).

Adjective

present (comparative more present, superlative most present)

  1. Relating to now, for the time being; current.
    The barbaric practice continues to the present day.
    The present manager has been here longer than the last one.
    Up to the present day.
  2. Located in the immediate vicinity.
    Is there a doctor present?  Several people were present when the event took place.  Being the leader, Jason is always present at class.
  3. (obsolete) Having an immediate effect (of a medicine, poison etc.); fast-acting.
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Alteratiues and Corials, corroborating, reſoluing the reliques, and mending the Temperament”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: , 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 5, member 1, subsection 5:
      Amongſt this number of Cordials and Alteratiues, J doe not find a more preſent remedy, then a cup of wine, or ſtrong drinke, and if it be ſoberly and opportunely vſed.
  4. (obsolete) Not delayed; immediate; instant.
  5. (dated) Ready; quick in emergency.
    a present wit
  6. (obsolete) Favorably attentive; propitious.
  7. Relating to something a person is referring to in the very context, with a deictic use similar to the demonstrative adjective this.
    in the present study,  the present article,  the present results.
  8. Attentive; alert; focused.
    Sorry, I was distracted just now, I'll try to be more present from now on.
  9. (politics) Neither for or against (used in voting to express abstention)
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Derived terms (grammar)
Related terms
Translations

Noun

present (plural presents)

  1. The current moment or period of time.
  2. (grammar) The present tense.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
present tense — see present tense

Etymology 2

From Middle English presenten, from Old French presenter, from Latin praesentāre (“to show”), from praesent-, praesens, present participle of praeesse (“be in front of”).

Noun

present (plural presents)

  2. A gift, especially one given for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, or any other special occasions.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      “A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. […]”
  3. (military) The position of a soldier in presenting arms.
    to stand at present
Derived terms
Descendants
  • → Japanese: プレゼント (purezento)
Translations
gift — see gift

Verb

present (third-person singular simple present presents, present participle presenting, simple past and past participle presented)

  1. To bring (someone) into the presence of (a person); to introduce formally.
    to present an envoy to the king
  2. (transitive) To nominate (a member of the clergy) for an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution.
  3. (transitive) To offer (a problem, complaint) to a court or other authority for consideration.
  4. (transitive, now rare) To charge (a person) with a crime or accusation; to bring before court.
    • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society, published 2012, page 71:
      In the diocese of Gloucester in 1548 two inhabitants of Slimbridge were presented for saying that holy oil was ‘of no virtue but meet to grease sheep’.
  5. (reflexive) To come forward, appear in a particular place or before a particular person, especially formally.
  6. (transitive) To put (something) forward in order for it to be seen; to show, exhibit.
  7. (transitive) To make clear to one's mind or intelligence; to put forward for consideration.
    • 1927, Arthur Conan Doyle, The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes:
      I do begin to realize that the matter must be presented in such a way as may interest the reader.
    • 2012 January, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist‎, volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 8 January 2012, page 74:
      Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.
  8. (transitive) To put on, stage (a play etc.).
    The theater is proud to present the Fearless Fliers.
  9. (transitive, military) To point (a firearm) at something, to hold (a weapon) in a position ready to fire.
  10. (reflexive) To offer oneself for mental consideration; to occur to the mind.
    Well, one idea does present itself.
  11. (intransitive, medicine) To come to the attention of medical staff, especially with a specific symptom.
    The patient presented with insomnia.
  12. (intransitive, medicine) To appear (in a specific way) for delivery (of a fetus); to appear first at the mouth of the uterus during childbirth.
  13. (intransitive, with "as") To appear or represent oneself (as having a certain gender).
    At that time, Elbe was presenting as a man.
    • August 24 2021, Shon Faye, “‘I feel like it’s quite shaky acceptance’: trans kids and the fight for inclusion”, in The Guardian:
      In May 2019, a case was referred to the high court in which social workers for Lancashire county council had sought orders against the parents of two trans children to take the children into care. Social services were alerted when H, the couple’s three-year-old foster child, born male, had gone into school presenting as a girl.
  14. (transitive) To act as presenter on (a radio, television programme etc.).
    Anne Robinson presents "The Weakest Link".
  15. (transitive) To give a gift or presentation to (someone).
    She was presented with an honorary degree for her services to entertainment.
  16. (transitive) To give (a gift or presentation) to someone; to bestow.
    • 1801, William Cowper, The Vicissitudes Experienced in the Christian Life:
      My last, least offering, I present thee now.
  17. (transitive) To deliver (something abstract) as though as a gift; to offer.
    I presented my compliments to Lady Featherstoneshaw.
  18. (transitive) To hand over (a bill etc.) to be paid.
  19. (intransitive, zoology) To display one's female genitalia in a way that signals to others that one is ready for copulation. Also referred to as lordosis behaviour.
  20. (fandom slang) In omegaverse fiction, to have one's secondary sex (alpha, omega, or beta) become apparent, typically at puberty.
    • 2018, Ninna Ilias, "Reimagining Sherlock Holmes: A Study in Gender Performativity", thesis submitted to Radboud University, page 59:
      Sherlock’s gender performance itself remains unchanged, with the exception of the hormonal changes he goes through after presenting as an omega.
    • 2019, Tessa Baron, "Just Go Find Yourself a Nice Alpha: Gender and Consent in Supernatural Fandom's Alpha/Beta/Omega Universe", thesis submitted to Oregon State University, page 17:
      People “present” their secondary genders during puberty, so girls and boys are raised without knowing if they will be alphas, betas, or omegas.
    • 2020, Julia Elena Goldmann, “How to Write House… Mpreg Fan Fiction and Concepts of Bodies, Gender and Family”, in Eva Hausbacher, Liesa Herbst, Julia Ostwald, Martina Thiele, editors, geschlecht_transkulturell: Aktuelle Forschungsperspektiven, page 262:
      Dean’s strong build and height come closer to the stereotypical build of an Alpha than to an Omega, which caused the huge disappointment for his father, who expected him to present as an Alpha.
    • For more quotations using this term, see Citations:present.
Derived terms
Translations

Further reading

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin praesentem. First attested in the 13th century.

Pronunciation

Noun

present m (plural presents)

  1. present (current moment or period of time)
  2. (grammar) present (grammatical tense)

Adjective

present m or f (masculine and feminine plural presents)

  1. present (at a given location)

Derived terms

References

  1. ^ “present”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2024

Further reading

Chinese

Etymology

From English present or clipping of English presentation.

Pronunciation

Noun

present

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) presentation (lecture or speech)

Verb

present

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to present; to give a lecture or speech to an audience

References

Danish

Etymology

From French présent, from présenter (“to present”).

Pronunciation

Noun

present c (singular definite presenten, plural indefinite presenter)

  1. (dated) present, gift
    Synonym: gave

Inflection

Declension of present
common
gender 		Singular Plural
indefinite definite indefinite definite
nominative present presenten presenter presenterne
genitive presents presentens presenters presenternes

Ladin

Alternative forms

Adjective

present m (feminine singular presenta, masculine plural presenc, feminine plural presentes)

  1. present

Middle French

Noun

present m (plural presens)

  1. gift; present
    • 1417, La disputation de l'Asne contre frere Anselme Turmeda
      Un iour qu'il alloit par ladite cité & passant p[ar] la rue de la mer, veit une guenon dedans un panier & l'acheta pour en faire un present audit conte d'Armignac son parent, pource que en France i'a pas beaucoup de telz animaux.
      One day as he was walking through said city and passing through la Rue de Mer, he saw an Old World monkey in a basket and bought it to give it as a present to the Count of Armignac, his father, because there are not many animals like this one in France.
  2. (grammar) present (tense)

Old French

Noun

present oblique singular, m (oblique plural presenz or presentz, nominative singular presenz or presentz, nominative plural present)

  1. gift; present
    • c. 1170, Wace, Le Roman de Rou:
      Itant out li Quens un present
      D'une cupe chiere d'argent
      At this moment he presented the Count
      With a valuable silver cup
  2. (grammar) present (tense)

Swedish

Alternative forms

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /prɛˈsent/
  • Audio (Gotland, "en present")(file)

Noun

present c

  1. gift, present

Declension

Declension of present 
Singular Plural
Indefinite Definite Indefinite Definite
Nominative present presenten presenter presenterna
Genitive presents presentens presenters presenternas

Derived terms

See also

References

Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia