Present — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb adjective /ˈpre-zᵊnt/ (noun) /pri-ˈzent/ (verb) pres·ent

Meaning & Definition of Present

Present (noun)

  1. something presented, gift
  2. the present time
  3. the present tense of a language
  4. a verb form in the present tense

Present (verb)

  1. to make a gift to
  2. to give or bestow formally
  3. to bring (something, such as a play) before the public

Present (adjective)

  1. now existing or in progress
  2. being in view or at hand
  3. existing in something mentioned or under consideration

Present (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. something given to someone without expectation of a return

    "an impressive array of presents for the bride and groom"

    similar: bestowal, comp, donation, donative, fairing (British), freebie, gift, giveaway, handsel, lagniappe, largesse, presentation
    related: alms, benefaction, beneficence, benevolence, charity, contribution, dole, handout, oblation, offering, philanthropy, tithe, box (British), care package, foy (chiefly Scottish), grant, subsidy, remembrance, tribute, valentine, bonus, boon, windfall, courtesy, favor, generosity, sacrifice, gratuity, propine (Scottish), tip, award, prize, reward, dowry, bequest, legacy
    near: advance, loan, bribe, douceur, peace offering, sop

  2. the time currently existing or in progress

    "I cannot talk to you at present, but perhaps in a few minutes"

    similar: here and now, moment, now, today
    related: phase, stage, state
    near: history, past, yesterday, yesteryear, yore, by-and-by, future, futurity, hereafter, offing, tomorrow

Present (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. existing or in progress right now

    "I am very busy at the present moment"

    similar: current, extant, immediate, instant, ongoing, present-day
    related: contemporary, mod, modern, modernistic, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, recent, red-hot, space-age, supermodern, ultramodern, up-to-date, being, breathing, existent, existing, living
    near: coming, future, unborn, completed, concluded, done, ended, finished, over, terminated, through, up, ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, archaic, dated, fusty, musty, noncontemporary, obsolete, old, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, outworn, passé, ago, bygone, erstwhile, former, past

  2. being within the confines of a specified place

    "all of you are required to be present for every meeting"

    similar: attending, in, at hand, in attendance, on hand
    related: accompanying, observing, participating, available, abounding, latent, breathing, existent, existing, extant, live
    opposite: absent, away, missing, out
    near: departed, gone, retired, nonexistent, AWOL, truant, dead, deceased, defunct, demised, lost, vanished, belated, delayed, delinquent, late, overdue, tardy

Present (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to bring before the public in performance or exhibition

    "we will present a performance of Our Town tomorrow evening"

    similar: carry, give, mount, offer, stage, come out with
    related: display, exhibit, expose, parade, show, show off, unveil, preview, act, impersonate, perform, play, portray, depict, dramatize, enact, render, represent, extend, proffer, tender

  2. to make (one person) known (to another) socially

    "may I present my niece Sarah?"

    similar: acquaint, introduce
    related: address, greet, hail, meet, reacquaint, reintroduce

  3. to make a present of

    "the company presented a gold watch to him on the occasion of his retirement"

    similar: bestow, contribute, donate, give, give away, volunteer, give of
    related: chip in, kick in, pitch in, throw in, award, confer, endow, endue, render, afford, comp, furnish, provide, lavish, regale, aid, assist, benefit, help, administer, dish out, dispense, dole out, hand out, impart, issue, mete (out), extend, fork (over, out, or up), offer, pay, proffer, pungle (up), put up, tender, sacrifice
    near: hold, keep, pocket, retain, withhold, preserve, save, advance, lend, loan, sell

Related Entry: Present-day (adjective)

Present-day is a different word from Present. The synonyms below are for present-day, not for present.

  1. being or involving the latest methods, concepts, information, or styles

    "present-day technology has rendered yesterday's marvels obsolete"

    similar: contemporary, current, designer, hot, mod, modern, modernistic, new, new age, new-fashioned, newfangled, red-hot, space-age, state-of-the-art, ultramodern, up-to-date, up-to-the-minute
    related: fashionable, happening, in, modish, nouvelle, now, stylish, last, latest, modernized, updated, futuristic, high-tech, latter-day, recent
    opposite: antiquated, archaic, dated, fusty, musty, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, passé
    near: anachronistic, aged, age-old, ancient, antediluvian, hoary, old, venerable, bygone, former, late, olden, past, antique, historic, historical, retro, retrograde, kaput, obsolete, outmoded, outworn, unmodernized, old-world, discarded, disused, moth-eaten, forgotten, remote, ageless, dateless, timeless

  2. existing or in progress right now

    "the present-day administration in Washington"

    similar: current, extant, immediate, instant, ongoing, present
    related: contemporary, mod, modern, modernistic, new, newfangled, new-fashioned, recent, red-hot, space-age, supermodern, ultramodern, up-to-date, being, breathing, existent, existing, living
    near: coming, future, unborn, completed, concluded, done, ended, finished, over, terminated, through, up, ancient, antediluvian, antiquated, antique, archaic, dated, fusty, musty, noncontemporary, obsolete, old, oldfangled, old-fashioned, old-time, out-of-date, outworn, passé, ago, bygone, erstwhile, former, past

Related Entry: At present (phrase)

At present is a different word from Present. The synonyms below are for at present, not for present.

  1. at the present time

    "At present, investigators have not gathered sufficient evidence to make an arrest."

    similar: anymore, currently, now, nowadays, presently, right now, today, for the time being
    related: here
    opposite: before, formerly, long, once, then
    near: away, far, farthest, remotest, heretofore, hitherto, since, ago, previously

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Present

The most common words with a similar meaning to Present:

British: fairing
bestowal, comp, donation, donative, freebie, gift, giveaway, handsel, lagniappe, largesse, presentation, here and now, moment, now, today, current, extant, immediate, instant, ongoing, present-day, attending, in, at hand, in attendance, on hand, carry, give, mount, offer, stage, acquaint, introduce, bestow, contribute, donate, give away, volunteer, come out with, give of

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Present

Words with the opposite meaning of Present:

absent, away, missing, out

Related Words for Present

alms, benefaction, beneficence, benevolence, charity, contribution, dole, handout, oblation, offering, philanthropy, tithe, box, care package, foy, grant, subsidy, remembrance, tribute, valentine, bonus, boon, windfall, courtesy, favor, generosity, sacrifice, gratuity, propine, tip

Near Antonyms of Present

advance, loan, bribe, douceur, peace offering, sop, history, past, yesterday, yesteryear, yore, by-and-by, future, futurity, hereafter, offing, tomorrow, coming, unborn, completed, concluded, done, ended, finished, over, terminated, through, up, ancient, antediluvian

Word Forms of Present

Inflections: presented, presenting, presents

Derived words: presentness (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Present

Middle English, from Anglo-French, from presenter

First known use: 13th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Present

Words & Phrases Containing Present

present arms, present-day, present participle, present perfect, present tense, present value

Frequently Asked Questions about Present

What does "Present" mean?

"Present" means something presented, gift. As an a noun, a verb and an adjective, it is defined as: something presented, gift. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Present"?

Other words for "Present" include bestowal, comp, donation, donative, fairing, freebie, gift and giveaway. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Present" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Present"?

There are 159 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Present". Common alternatives include bestowal, comp, donation, donative, fairing, freebie, gift, giveaway, handsel and lagniappe.

What is the opposite of "Present"?

Antonyms of "Present" include absent, away, missing and out. Near antonyms include advance, loan, bribe and douceur.

How do you use "Present" in a sentence?

Examples of "Present" in a sentence: "an impressive array of presents for the bride and groom"; "I cannot talk to you at present, but perhaps in a few minutes"; "I am very busy at the present moment".

Is "Present" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Present" can be used as a noun, a verb and an adjective, depending on the context.

Is "Present" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Present" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Present"?

"Present" is pronounced /ˈpre-zᵊnt/ as a noun and /pri-ˈzent/ as a verb and divided into syllables as pres·ent.