Meaning of present in English

present

noun

/ˈprez.ənt/ us

/ˈprez.ənt/

present noun (SOMETHING GIVEN)

(UK informal prezzie); (or pressie, uk/ˈprez.i/ us/ˈprez.i/)

something that you are given, without asking for it, on a special occasion, especially to show friendship, or to say thank you:

a birthday/Christmas/wedding present

They gave me theatre tickets as a present.

Synonyms

gift (PRESENT)

offering

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

something that you give

presentThe coat was a birthday present from my sister.
giftI have a small gift for you.
donationAfter the earthquake, donations poured in from all over the world.
grantStudents receive a grant equal to £250 per month.
contributionShe wanted to make a financial contribution to the family.

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More examplesFewer examples

We're having a collection for Tom's retirement present.
They got an entire set of silver cutlery as a wedding present.
I was looking for a birthday present for my mother but I didn't find anything suitable.
Aren't you going to unwrap your presents?
The children squealed in delight when they saw all the presents under the Christmas tree.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Presents and gifts

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present noun (NOW)

the present B1 [ S ]

the period of time that is happening now, not the past or the future:

That's all for the present.

in the present The play is set in the present.

More examplesFewer examples

I'm usually too immersed in the present to worry about the future.
Let's talk about the present.

the present (tense)

A1 [ S ] language

the form of the verb that is used to show what happens or exists now:

The verb in this sentence is in the present.

at present B1 formal

now:

"Are you busy?" "Not at present."

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Now

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Grammar

Present

Present time refers to the time around the moment of writing or speaking (time around now) and to general and permanent time. The two most common ways to refer to present time are the present simple for general facts and regular events, and the present continuous for an event happening now: …

Present verb forms referring to the past

We commonly use the present simple to refer to the past when we want to make events sound as if they are happening now. For example, news headlines are commonly written in the present simple: …

Present: typical errors

We always use the -s form for third person singular present simple: …

present

adjective

/ˈprez.ənt/ us

/ˈprez.ənt/

present adjective (IN A PLACE)

B1 [ after verb ]

in a particular place:

The whole family was present.

There were no children present.

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Mind your language - there are ladies present!
Is it necessary for all of us to be present at the meeting this afternoon?
Melanin is the dark brown pigment of the hair, skin, and eyes that is present in varying amounts in every human being.
More men are present at the births of their children these days.
There ought to be an adult present at all times, when there are young children in the pool.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Present

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present adjective (NOW)

[ before noun ]

happening or existing now:

I don't have her present address.

Please state your present occupation and salary.

Related word

presently (NOW) mainly US formal

More examplesFewer examples

Charlie has a clever plan for getting us out of our present difficulties.
Unlike the present government, we believe in serving the community.
The present system of payment will remain in effect until the end of the rental agreement.
The present voting system distorts the wishes of the electorate.
Are you feeling frustrated in your present job?

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Now

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Grammar

Present

Present verb forms referring to the past

We commonly use the present simple to refer to the past when we want to make events sound as if they are happening now. For example, news headlines are commonly written in the present simple: …

Present: typical errors

We always use the -s form for third person singular present simple: …

Idiom

present company excepted

present

verb

/prɪˈzent/ us

/prɪˈzent/

present verb (GIVE)

B2 [ T ]

to give, provide, or make something known:

The winners were presented with medals.

The letter presented the family with a problem that would be difficult to solve.

The documentary presented us with a balanced view of the issue.

He presented the report to his colleagues at the meeting.

The classroom presented a cheerful busy atmosphere to the visitors (= appeared to them to have this).

The school is presenting (= performing) "West Side Story" as its end-of-term production.

Thesaurus: synonyms, antonyms, and examples

to give something to someone

giveGive me that dirty plate.
offerYour doctor should be able to offer advice.
provideThis booklet provides useful information about local services.
supplyThe lake supplies the whole town with water.
donateFour hundred dollars has been donated to the school book fund.

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More examplesFewer examples

He has a lot more work to do before he can present the scheme to the public.
Ruth was astonished when he presented her with an engagement ring.
She presented a well-argued case for the banning of smoking in public places.
She graciously accepted the flowers that were presented to her.
The Duchess of Kent will be presenting the trophies.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Giving, providing and supplying

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present verb (INTRODUCE)

B2 [ T ] UK

to introduce a television or radio show:

She presents the late-night news.

[ T ] formal

to introduce a person:

May I present Professor Carter?

Later on I'd like to present you to the headteacher.

present yourself

to arrive somewhere and introduce yourself:

He presented himself at the doctor's at 9.30 a.m. as arranged.

You should present yourselves at the front desk at 8 o'clock in the morning.

He presented himself to the Criminal Tribunal in The Hague.

She presented herself at the abbey to begin her life as a nun.

I presented myself to the supervisor, eager to begin work.

present itself C2

If something presents itself, it happens:

An opportunity suddenly presented itself.

When a challenge to his authority presented itself, he dealt with it firmly.

She opted for cash over comfort whenever the choice presented itself.

I would be open to taking up a directorship should the right opportunity present itself.

After a couple of successful years, a new hurdle presented itself.

More examplesFewer examples

I'd like to present my grandson, Jackson Junior.
He was presented to the Queen and given a knighthood.
She used to present one of those holiday programmes but now she reads the news.
May I present Sir Bob Geldof?
What was that documentary called that she used to present?

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Broadcasting in general

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Being friends & getting to know them

Arriving, entering and invading

Occurring and happening

present verb (SHOW SIGNS OF ILLNESS)

[ I ] medical specialized

to see a doctor, etc. when showing particular signs of an illness or medical condition :

Children presenting with acute respiratory infections were referred for a chest X-ray.

When patients present with chest pain, clinical examination and patient history are fundamental to determine the probable cause of pain.

[ I ] medical specialized

(of an illness) to show itself in a particular way:

Medical conditions might present differently during pregnancy.

Bone cancer generally presents as pain in the area of the tumour.

SMART Vocabulary: related words and phrases

Medical treatment: symptoms & diagnosis of medical problems

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You can also find related words, phrases, and synonyms in the topics:

Being & falling ill

(Definition of present from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

present | American Dictionary

present

noun

/ˈprez·ənt/

present noun (SOMETHING GIVEN)

Add to word list Add to word list

[ C ]

something that is given without being asked for, esp. on a special occasion or to say thank you; a gift:

a birthday/wedding/graduation present

Did you wrap the present?

present noun (NOW)

[ U ]

this period of time, not the past or the future; now:

The story moves back and forth between the past and the present.

present

adjective [ not gradable ]

/ˈprez·ənt/

present adjective [not gradable] (GRAMMAR)

specialized

(in grammar) having the tense of a verb used to describe actions, events, or states that are happening or existing at this time:

Her book is written entirely in the present tense.

present adjective [not gradable] (GRAMMAR)

grammar

having the tense of a verb used to describe actions, events, or states that are happening or existing at this time:

Her book is written entirely in the present tense.

present adjective [not gradable] (PLACE)

in a particular place:

The mayor was present during the entire meeting.

present

verb [ T ]

/prɪˈzent/

present verb [T] (PROVIDE)

to give, show, provide, or make known:

The mayor presented five firefighters with medals for saving people’s lives.

Two clubs in the neighborhood present jazz on Thursdays.

Dr. Gottlieb will present her research in a series of lectures this spring.

If you present yourself, you go to someone or make yourself known to someone:

Paul Groncki presented himself to the receptionist on the 41st floor.

If something presents itself, it happens or takes place:

An opportunity suddenly presented itself.

present verb [T] (CAUSE)

to cause something:

Falling tax revenues present a problem for the city.

present verb [T] (INTRODUCE)

fml

to introduce a person:

I’m pleased to present my son, Charles.

(Definition of present from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

present | Business English

present

verb [ T ]

/prɪˈzent/ us

Add to word list Add to word list

to offer your thoughts, ideas, plans, etc., to others for them to consider:

He will present a detailed explanation of the new sales campaign at the next meeting.

to give a bill, cheque, document, etc., to someone:

Today a store scans your goods, and you simply present your credit card and sign your name.

present sb with sth Organizers presented her with a check for $25,000.

present sth to sb We presented our passports to the customs officer.

if someone or something presents a problem, opportunity, etc., they create it:

The shake-out in bank shares may well have presented an opportunity for bargain hunters.

be presented with sth He was presented with a tough choice.

(Definition of present from the Cambridge Business English Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Examples of present

present

Then the groups of superiors and inferiors present a difference of 3 persons.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The value of this volume at present is clear in that it permits geoscientists to view the potential of three-dimensional seismic data.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

We have permitted ourselves some syntactic flexibility in presenting the metaprogram.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The analysis we present is not restricted to electron-ion plasmas, the result is also valid for electron-positron plasmas.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

None of the studies presents a fine-grained qualitative and quantitative analysis of error patterns, for type of article and gender separately.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The results, presenting both qualitative and quantitative analyses, provide interesting insights into the responses of the students to the experiment itself.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

What the present reviewer misses most are detailed qualitative analyses and theoretical discussions.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In rice fields, these three families or subfamilies made up 63% of species and 86% of all individuals present.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

On neither of these ways of construing the existence question does it present a substantial philosophical issue.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The present problem appears, however, more difficult to grasp physically than the problem of the shelving beach.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In the next session, the investigator presented the color photographs described previously.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

This is purely for the author's convenience in presenting these results in the paper and demonstrating the robot.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

The present study aimed to assess, in a community sample, actions taken to cope with depression at different levels of psychological distress.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

In the context of the model sketch presented above, stock returns and returns to capital are direct measures of productivity.

From the Cambridge English Corpus

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.

What is the pronunciation of present?

What is the pronunciation of pressie?

A2,B1,A1,B1,B1,B2,B2,C2