English

Verb

take place ‎(third-person singular simple present takes place, present participle taking place, simple past took place, past participle taken place)

1. (intransitive) To happen, to occur.
   • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess:

     When Timothy and Julia hurried up the staircase to the bedroom floor, where a considerable commotion was taking place, Tim took Barry Leach with him. He had him gripped firmly by the arm, since he felt it was not safe to let him loose, and he had no immediate idea what to do with him.

2. (obsolete) To take precedence or priority.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Addison to this entry?)

3. (obsolete) To take effect; to prevail.
   • Berkeley

     if your doctrine takes place

   • Spenser

     But none of these excuses would take place.

Usage notes

• This is a more formal way of saying to happen.

Translations