grant

1 of 2

verb

ˈgrant 

granted; granting; grants

transitive verb

1

a

: to consent to carry out for a person : allow fulfillment of

grant a request

b

: to permit as a right, privilege, or favor

luggage allowances granted to passengers

2

: to bestow or transfer formally

grant a scholarship to a student

specifically : to give the possession or title of by a deed

3

a

: to be willing to concede

I grant you that the house is not in perfect condition.

b

: to assume to be true

granting that you are correct

grantable

ˈgran-tə-bəl 

adjective

granter

ˈgran-tər 

noun

grantor

ˈgran-tər 

-ˌtȯr;

gran-ˈtȯr 

noun

see also take for granted

grant

2 of 2

noun

1

: the act of granting

2

: something granted

especially : a gift (as of land or money) for a particular purpose

3

a

: a transfer of property by deed or writing

b

: the instrument (see instrument entry 1 sense 5) by which such a transfer is made

also : the property so transferred

4

: a minor territorial division of Maine, New Hampshire, or Vermont originally granted by the state to an individual or institution

Synonyms

Verb

• acknowledge
• admit
• agree
• allow
• concede
• confess
• fess (up)
• own (up to)

Noun

• allocation
• allotment
• annuity
• appropriation
• entitlement
• subsidy
• subvention

Choose the Right Synonym for grant

grant, concede, vouchsafe, accord, award mean to give as a favor or a right.

grant implies giving to a claimant or petitioner something that could be withheld.

granted them a new hearing

concede implies yielding something reluctantly in response to a rightful or compelling claim.

even her critics concede she can be charming

vouchsafe implies granting something as a courtesy or an act of gracious condescension.

vouchsafed the secret to only a few chosen disciples

accord implies giving to another what is due or proper.

accorded all the honors befitting a head of state

award implies giving what is deserved or merited usually after a careful weighing of pertinent factors.

awarded the company a huge defense contract

Examples of grant in a Sentence

Verb

The mayor refused to grant my request for an interview.

The court granted the motion for a new trial.

I cannot grant you that wish.

We haven't yet been granted access to the archive.

The country was granted independence in 1950.

The judge granted custody of the children to their mother.

I grant that he's a talented writer, but I just don't find his books very interesting.

The house is not perfect, I grant you that.

Noun

Her study is being funded by a federal grant.

They wrote a grant proposal to get funding for the project.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Raise Design is behind the landscaping surrounding the home that’s fixed on a half-acre lot that grants stunning vistas of Lake Austin and the Austin skyline. —Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024

Eligible children will receive a pass, valid for one year, that grants free admission into any national park (or its partners). —Ronny Maye, Essence, 22 Apr. 2024

At the deadline for Trump to pay the judgment, New York's Appellate Division First Department granted the former president's eleventh-hour request to reduce the size of his bond, permitting him to post a bond of $175 million. —Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 22 Apr. 2024

The Justice Department granted Pecker was immunity from prosecution in August 2018. —Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 22 Apr. 2024

While their decision grants permission for up to $6 million in bonds, current plans actually call for issuing a lower figure — $5.7 million, and using money from the city’s open space acquisition fund to assist with the remainder of the expense, Kfoury said. —Barbara Henry, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024

And mathematicians, in particular, refuse to take anything for granted. —Discover Magazine, 19 Apr. 2024

After Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, the EU granted tariff-free access for agricultural imports from Ukraine, many of them exempt from the strict environmental standards the bloc enforces on its own producers. —Raf Casert, Quartz, 18 Apr. 2024

Given its runaway financial success, the follow-up was granted a much more substantial $200 million price tag. —Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 10 Apr. 2024

Noun

The official did not have permission to speak publicly, but spoke to NPR about their experience with the grant program on condition of anonymity. —Miles Parks, NPR, 23 Apr. 2024

Brightline received Biden administration backing including a $3 billion grant from federal infrastructure funds and recent approval to sell another $2.5 billion in tax-exempt bonds. —Ken Ritter, Quartz, 23 Apr. 2024

Local and national officials gathered at the Corner Ballpark in Detroit for the event, announcing programming and grants for 30 nonprofits in education, sports, business, and more across the region. —Jenna Prestininzi, Detroit Free Press, 22 Apr. 2024

The governor also announced grants totaling nearly $200 million for cities and counties to move homeless people from unauthorized encampments into housing. —Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Apr. 2024

Related Articles There are a limited number of VIP tables available, and proceeds from the night (including silent and live auctions), will benefit the Jazz Aid Fund, which provides grants to musicians and spurs new works which in turn are often showcased during San Jose Jazz’s New Works Fest. —Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 20 Apr. 2024

For that to change in the coming years more studies need to happen, something that Biden’s executive order announcing a $12 billion dollar investment in women’s health research can hopefully help facilitate (Origin is currently applying for one of the research grants). —Fiorella Valdesolo, Vogue, 19 Apr. 2024

The project did get additional funding over the years, including through grants. —Debra Skodack, Kansas City Star, 19 Apr. 2024

Our fact-check work is supported in part by a grant from Meta. —USA TODAY, 11 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb and Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French granter, graanter, from Vulgar Latin *credentare, from Latin credent-, credens, present participle of credere to believe — more at creed

First Known Use

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing grant

• block grant
• give/grant/do interviews
• grant/deny access to
• grant-in-aid
• land grant

Kids Definition

grant

1 of 2 verb

ˈgrant 

1

a

: to consent to : permit

grant your request

b

: to permit as a right, privilege, or favor

granted them a day off for volunteer work

2

: to give the possession or benefit of formally or legally

the king granted land to the settlers

3

: to admit something not yet proved to be true

granted you are right, you must still pay for the damage

granter

-ər 

noun

grantor

ˈgrant-ər  grant-ˈȯr 

noun

grant

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of granting

2

: something granted: as

a

: a gift (as of money or land) for a particular purpose

a research grant

b

: an area of land granted by a government

Legal Definition

grant

1 of 2 transitive verb

1

: to permit as a right or privilege

grant a new trial

the Supreme Court granted certiorari

2

: to bestow or transfer formally

specifically : to transfer the possession or title of by a deed : convey

grant

2 of 2 noun

1

: the act of granting

2

: something granted

especially : a gift (as of land or money) for a particular purpose

3

a

: a transfer of property by deed or writing

b

: the instrument by which such a transfer is made

also : the property so transferred

Biographical Definition

Grant 1 of 2

biographical name (1)

ˈgrant 

Cary 1904–1986 originally Archibald Alexander Leach American (British-born) actor

Grant

2 of 2

biographical name (2)

Ulysses S. 1822–1885 originally Hiram Ulysses Grant American general; 18th president of the U.S. (1869–77)