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Webster 1913 Edition

Present

Pres′ent

,
Adj.
[F.
présent
, L.
praesens
,
-entis
, that is before one, in sight or at hand, p. p. of
praeesse
to be before;
prae
before +
esse
to be. See
Essence
.]
1.
Being at hand, within reach or call, within certain contemplated limits; – opposed to absent.
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet
present
with you.
John xiv. 25.
2.
Now existing, or in process; begun but not ended; now in view, or under consideration; being at this time; not past or future;
as, the
present
session of Congress; the
present
state of affairs; the
present
instance.
I’ll bring thee to the
present
business
Shakespeare
3.
Not delayed; immediate; instant; coincident.
“A present recompense.” “A present pardon.”
Shak.
An ambassador . . . desires a
present
audience.
Massinger.
4.
Ready; quick in emergency; as a present wit.
[R.]
5.
Favorably attentive; propitious.
[Archaic]
To find a god so
present
to my prayer.
Dryden.
Present tense
(Gram.)
,
the tense or form of a verb which expresses action or being in the present time; as, I am writing, I write, or I do write.

Pres′ent

,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
présent
. See
Present
,
Adj.
]
1.
Present time; the time being; time in progress now, or at the moment contemplated; as, at this present.
Past and
present
, wound in one.
Tennyson.
2.
pl.
(Law)
Present letters or instrument, as a deed of conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney, or other writing; as in the phrase, “ Know all men by these presents,” that is, by the writing itself, “ per has literas praesentes; ” – in this sense, rarely used in the singular.
3.
(Gram.)
A present tense, or the form of the verb denoting the present tense.
At present
,
at the present time; now.
–
For the present
,
for the tine being; temporarily.
–
In present
,
at once, without delay.
[Obs.]
“With them, in present, half his kingdom; the rest to follow at his death.”
Milton.

Pre-sent′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Presented
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Presenting
.]
[F.
présenter
, L.
praesentare
, fr.
praesens
, a. See
Present
,
Adj.
]
1.
To bring or introduce into the presence of some one, especially of a superior; to introduce formally; to offer for acquaintance;
as, to
present
an envoy to the king
; (with the reciprocal pronoun) to come into the presence of a superior.
Now there was a day when the sons of God came to
present
themselves before the lord.
Job i. 6
2.
To exhibit or offer to view or notice; to lay before one's perception or cognizance; to set forth; to present a fine appearance.
Lectorides's memory is ever . . .
presenting
him with the thoughts of other persons.
I. Watts.
3.
To pass over, esp. in a ceremonious manner; to give in charge or possession; to deliver; to make over.
So ladies in romance assist their knight,
Present
the spear, and arm him for the fight.
Pope.
4.
To make a gift of; to bestow; to give, generally in a formal or ceremonious manner; to grant; to confer.
My last, least offering, I
present
thee now.
Cowper.
5.
Hence: To endow; to bestow a gift upon; to favor, as with a donation; also, to court by gifts.
Octavia
presented
the poet for him admirable elegy on her son Marcellus.
Dryden.
6.
To present; to personate.
[Obs.]
Shak.
7.
In specific uses;
(a)
To nominate to an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution.
The patron of a church may
present
his clerk to a parsonage or vicarage; that is, may offer him to the bishop of the diocese to be instituted.
Blackstone.
(b)
To nominate for support at a public school or other institution .
Lamb.
(c)
To lay before a public body, or an official, for consideration, as before a legislature, a court of judicature, a corporation, etc.;
as, to
present
a memorial, petition, remonstrance, or indictment
.
(d)
To lay before a court as an object of inquiry; to give notice officially of, as a crime of offence; to find or represent judicially;
as, a grand jury
present
certain offenses or nuisances, or whatever they think to be public injuries
.
(e)
To bring an indictment against .
[U.S]
(f)
To aim, point, or direct, as a weapon;
as, to
present
a pistol or the point of a sword to the breast of another
.
Pesent arms
(Mil.)
,
the command in response to which the gun is carried perpendicularly in front of the center of the body, and held there with the left hand grasping it at the lower band, and the right hand grasping the small of the stock, in token of respect, as in saluting a superior officer; also, the position taken at such a command.

Pre-sent′

,
Verb.
I.
(Med.)
To appear at the mouth of the uterus so as to be perceptible to the finger in vaginal examination; – said of a part of an infant during labor.

Pres′ent

,
Noun.
[F.
présent
.]
Anything presented or given; a gift; a donative;
as, a Christmas
present
.
Syn. – Gift; donation; donative; benefaction. See
Gift
.

Pre-sent′

,
Noun.
(Mil.)
The position of a soldier in presenting arms;
as, to stand at
present
.

Webster 1828 Edition

Present

PRES'ENT

,
Adj.
s as z. [L. proesens; proe and sum, esse, to be.]
1.
Being in a certain place; opposed to absent.
2.
Being before the face or near; being in company. Inquire of some of the gentlemen present.
These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. John 14.
3.
Being now in view or under consideration. In the present instance, facts will not warrant the conclusion. The present question must be decided on different principles.
4.
Now existing, or being at this time; not past or future; as the present session of congress. The court is in session at the present time. We say, a present good,the present year or age.
5.
Ready at hand; quick in emergency; as present wit.
'Tis a high point of philosophy and virtue for a man to be present to himself.
6.
Favorably attentive; not heedless; propitious.
Nor could I hope in any place but there
To find a god so present to my prayer.
7.
Not absent of mind; not abstracted; attentive.
The present, an elliptical expression for the present time.
At present, elliptically for, at the present time.
Present tense, in grammar, the tense or form of a verb which expresses action or being in the present time, as I am writing; or something that exists at all times, as virtue is always to be preferred to vice; or it expresses habits or general truths, as plants spring from the earth; fishes swim; reptiles creep; birds fly; some animals subsist on herbage, others are carnivorous.

PRES'ENT

,
Noun.
That which is presented or given; a gift; a donative; something given or offered to another gratuitously; a word of general application. Gen.32.
Presents' in the plural, is used in law for a deed of conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney or other writing; as in the phrase, 'Know all men by these presents,' that is, by the writing itself, per presentes. In this sense, it is rarely used in the singular.

Definition 2024

present

present

See also: présent

English

Alternative forms

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

Pronunciation

  • enPR: prĕ'zənt, IPA(key): /ˈprɛzənt/
  • Hyphenation: pres‧ent
  • Rhymes: -ɛzənt

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.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 12, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill. It was ugly, gross. Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connexion […] such talk had been distressingly out of place.
    The present manager has been here longer than the last one.‎
  2. Located in the immediate vicinity.
    Is there a doctor present?  Several people were present when the event took place.‎
  3. (obsolete) Having an immediate effect (of a medicine, poison etc.); fast-acting. [16th-18th c.]
    • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, II.5.1.v:
      Amongst this number of cordials and alteratives I do not find a more present remedy than a cup of wine or strong drink, if it be soberly and opportunely used.
  4. (obsolete) Not delayed; immediate; instant.
    • Shakespeare
      a present pardon
    • Massinger
      An ambassador […] desires a present audience.
  5. (dated) Ready; quick in emergency.
    a present wit
  6. (obsolete) Favorably attentive; propitious.
    • Dryden
      to find a god so present to my prayer
  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.
Antonyms
Derived terms
Related terms
Translations

Noun

present ‎(uncountable)

  1. The current moment or period of time.
  2. The present tense.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

From Middle English presenten, from Old French presenter, from Latin presentare "to show", from Latin praesent-, praesens present participle of praeesse "to be in front of".

Noun

present ‎(plural presents)

  1. A gift, especially one given for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, or any other special occasions.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 7, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      “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. […]”
  2. (military) The position of a soldier in presenting arms.
    to stand at present‎
Translations

Pronunciation

  • enPR: prĭzĕnt', IPA(key): /prɪˈzɛnt/
  • (Canada) IPA(key): /prəˈzɛnt/
  • Rhymes: -ɛnt

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. [from 14th c.]
    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. [from 14th c.]
  3. (transitive) To offer (a problem, complaint) to a court or other authority for consideration. [from 14th c.]
  4. (transitive, now rare) To charge (a person) with a crime or accusation; to bring before court. [from 14th c.]
    • 1971, Keith Thomas, Religion and the Decline of Magic, Folio Society 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. [from 14th c.]
    • Bible, Job i. 6
      Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the lord.
  6. (transitive) To put (something) forward in order for it to be seen; to show, exhibit. [from 14th c.]
    • Alexander Pope
      So ladies in romance assist their knight, / Present the spear, and arm him for the fight.
  7. (transitive) To make clear to one's mind or intelligence; to put forward for consideration. [from 14th c.]
    • 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 1, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 1, 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.). [from 16th c.]
    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. [from 16th c.]
  10. (reflexive) To offer oneself for mental consideration; to occur to the mind. [from 16th c.]
    Well, one idea does present itself.
  11. (intransitive, medicine) To come to the attention of medical staff, especially with a specific symptom. [from 19th c.]
    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. [from 18th c.]
  13. (intransitive, with "as") To appear or represent oneself (as having a certain gender).
    At that time, Elbe was presenting as a man.
    I was presenting as a boy / a girl / a man / a woman / (a) male / (a) female / masculine / feminine
  14. (transitive) To act as presenter on (a radio, television programme etc.). [from 20th c.]
    Anne Robinson presents "The Weakest Link".
  15. (transitive) To give a gift or presentation to (someone). [from 14th c.]
    She was presented with an honorary degree for her services to entertainment.
  16. (transitive) To give (a gift or presentation) to someone; to bestow. [from 14th c.]
    • Cowper
      My last, least offering, I present thee now.
  17. (transitive) To deliver (something abstract) as though as a gift; to offer. [from 14th c.]
    I presented my compliments to Lady Featherstoneshaw.
  18. (transitive) To hand over (a bill etc.) to be paid. [from 15th c.]
Derived terms
Translations

Statistics

Most common English words before 1923: till · next · poor · #258: present · water · stood · large

Anagrams

Catalan

Etymology

From Latin

Noun

present m ‎(plural presents)

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

Adjective

present m, f ‎(masculine and feminine plural presents)

  1. present (at a given location)

Danish

Etymology

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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /prɛsanɡ/, [pʰʁ̥ɛˈsɑŋ]

Noun

present c (singular definite presenten, plural indefinite presenter)

  1. (dated) present, gift

Inflection

Synonyms

Ladin

Alternative forms

  • prejent
  • presënt

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

  1. gift; present
    • circa 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

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /preˈsent/

Noun

present c

  1. gift, present

Declension

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

Synonyms

Etymology

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

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