gift

noun

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\ ˈgift

Definition of gift

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : a notable capacity, talent, or endowment

2 : something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation

3 : the act, right, or power of giving

gift

verb

gifted; gifting; gifts

Definition of gift (Entry 2 of 3)

transitive verb

1 : to endow with some power, quality, or attribute She's been gifted with a beautiful voice.

2a : to make a gift of It makes an excellent choice whether you're gifting one bottle for the honeymoon or a case to be savored for years, or even decades, to come.— Robert Taylor

b : present gifted her with flowers In this, her ninth novel, she has succeeded in gifting us with a story that will stay with us for a long time.— Dorothy Rochmis

GIFT

abbreviation

Definition of GIFT (Entry 3 of 3)

gamete intrafallopian transfer; gamete intrafallopian tube transfer

Other Words from gift Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about gift

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Choose the Right Synonym for gift

Noun

gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something. gift often implies special favor by God or nature. the gift of singing beautifully faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function. a faculty for remembering names aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it. a mechanical aptitude bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability. a family with an artistic bent talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed. has enough talent to succeed genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability. has no great genius for poetry knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance. the knack of getting along

Examples of gift in a Sentence

Noun The money was a gift, not a loan. She considers her voice a God-given gift. Verb gifted with an uncanny ability to persuade people to do things they ordinarily wouldn't

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Camondo’s daughter, Béatrice, was given Renoir’s portrait of her mother as a wedding gift. — The Economist, "The tragedy of Jewish art collectors in pre-war Paris," 10 Apr. 2021 Crafted from the wood of the British HMS Resolute, that desk was as a gift to President Rutherford B. Hayes from Queen Victoria in 1880. — Katherine Doyle, Washington Examiner, "Navy Seabees build Kamala Harris a Resolute Desk of her own," 5 Apr. 2021 As a parting gift, Whitten offered Pampanin a drawing from his repository. — Doug Smith, Los Angeles Times, "A formerly homeless artist made a gift to Los Angeles. What happened next was a surprise," 4 Apr. 2021 The legacy of the trees goes back to 1912 when more than 3,000 trees were presented as a gift from the mayor of Tokyo. — Julia Jacobo, ABC News, "Japan's cherry blossoms hit earliest peak in 1,200 years due to warming temperatures," 31 Mar. 2021 Henson’s ex-fiancé, Kelvin Hayden, had bought K Ball as a Christmas gift for her three years ago. — Essence, "Taraji P. Henson Mourns The Loss of Her Dog, K-Ball," 31 Mar. 2021 The three-time NBA champion received the jersey as a gift from Warriors player-mentor coach and former longtime teammate Leandro Barbosa. — Julia Poe, orlandosentinel.com, "NBA star Steph Curry shows off Orlando City jersey," 29 Mar. 2021 The glove came into my possession about five years ago as a gift from Duane Kuiper, the Giants broadcaster and a connoisseur of hardball leather. — Bruce Jenkins, San Francisco Chronicle, "Need inspiration, Giants fans? Here are six reasons 2021 will be interesting," 26 Mar. 2021 Buy a live olive tree for yourself or as a gift on 1800flowers.com here (from $61.99). — Perri Ormont Blumberg, Southern Living, "Forget the Fiddle-Leaf Fig—2021 Is All About the Olive Tree," 26 Mar. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb The $125 package allows those interested to donate, receive or gift one coping box valued at $50 and donate $75. — Nour Rahal, Detroit Free Press, "Easterseals Michigan providing coping boxes to aid with winter blues during COVID-19," 25 Feb. 2021 The turning point in the early stages came as the pair exchanged a stunning 28-shot rally, with Djokovic dumping his final shot into the bottom of the net to gift the Russian break point. — Matias Grez, CNN, "Novak Djokovic beats Daniil Medvedev in Australian Open final to claim 18th grand slam title," 21 Feb. 2021 Grappling with early nerves, Brady dropped serve after two double-faults but quickly broke back when Osaka double-faulted to gift a break point. — NBC News, "Naomi Osaka claims 4th Grand Slam trophy by beating Jennifer Brady in Australia," 20 Feb. 2021 To keep them fueled through all their adventures, gift them this can of Grady’s Cold Brew, which is a deliciously concentrated coffee to keep them wired in. — Kai Burkhardt, CNN Underscored, "17 gifts the Aries in your life will love," 10 Mar. 2021 With snuggle season about to be in full swing, there’s no better time than the present to gift yourself with the ultimate cuddling accessory: a weighted blanket. — Arielle Tschinkel, USA TODAY, "There's a less expensive version of our favorite weighted blanket—and it's on sale," 30 Sep. 2020 Now is the perfect time to gift those cute polishes without worrying the colour may not match her style. — Angela Lei, Forbes, "Women’s Day Gift Ideas: Best Presents For Fashion And Beauty Lovers," 3 Mar. 2021 And neither has Bentley seen fit to gift them any crash-test vehicles, evidently. — Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, "IIHS Top Safety Pick Prize Goes to Record Number of Vehicles for 2021," 26 Feb. 2021 This year, gift him something even better: a box of beef jerky. — Amanda Tarlton, USA TODAY, "40 amazing Valentine's Day gifts men actually want," 20 Jan. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'gift.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster

Dictionary Entries near gift

Statistics for gift

Last Updated

12 Apr 2021

Cite this Entry

“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gift. Accessed 13 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for gift

gift

noun

English Language Learners Definition of gift

(Entry 1 of 2)

: something that is given to another person or to a group or organization

: a special ability

gift

verb

English Language Learners Definition of gift (Entry 2 of 2)

: to present (someone) with a gift

See the full definition for gift in the English Language Learners Dictionary

gift

noun

\ ˈgift

Kids Definition of gift

1 : a special ability : talent a gift for music

2 : something given : present I gave my mother her birthday gift.

GIFT

abbreviation

Medical Definition of GIFT

gamete intrafallopian transfer; gamete intrafallopian tube transfer

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gift

noun

Legal Definition of gift

1 : an intentional and gratuitous transfer of real or personal property by a donor with legal capacity who actually or constructively delivers the property to the donee with the intent of giving up dominion over the property and investing it in the donee who accepts it broadly : a voluntary transfer of property without compensation — see also delivery — compare donation, sale

— class gift

: a usually testamentary gift of a sum to a group of unspecified persons whose number and identity and share of the gift will be determined sometime in the future (as at the death of the donor)

— completed gift

: a gift in which the dominion and control of the property is placed beyond the donor's reach

— gift causa mortis \ -ˈkȯ-zə-ˈmȯr-tis, -ˈkau̇-sä-ˈmȯr-tēs \ plural gifts causa mortis

: a gift of especially personal property made in contemplation of impending death that is delivered with the intent that the gift take effect only in the event of the donor's death and that it be revoked in the event of survival — compare donation inter vivos and donation mortis causa at donation, gift inter vivos and testamentary gift in this entry

— gift inter vivos \ -ˈin-tər-ˈvī-vōs; -ˈin-ter-ˈvē-vōs, -ˈwē-wōs \ plural gifts inter vivos

: a gift made during the lifetime of the donor and delivered with the intent of surrendering immediately and irrevocably dominion and control over the property — compare donation inter vivos at donation, gift causa mortis and testamentary gift in this entry

— gift over plural gifts over

: a gift especially by will of property that takes effect upon the termination or failure of a preceding estate (as a life estate) in the property

— manual gift

: a gift especially under the civil law of Louisiana made of a movable corporeal object by actual delivery and involving no formalities

— split gift

: a gift made by a spouse to a third person that for purposes of gift tax may be considered as given one-half by each spouse to take advantage of tax avoidance devices (as the annual exclusion)

— substitutional gift \ ˌsəb-stə-ˈtü-shə-nəl-, -ˈtyü- \

: a gift to a legatee or devisee in substitution for another devisee or legatee who cannot take under the will (as because of death)

— called also substitute gift

— testamentary gift

: a gift that does not become effective until the death of the donor specifically : a gift made in a will — compare gift causa mortis and gift inter vivos in this entry

2 : something voluntarily transferred without compensation

3 : a transfer of property for less than adequate consideration other than in the ordinary course of business —used in the law of gift tax

Note: The amount by which the value of property so transferred exceeds the consideration paid is included in the total amount of taxable gifts made during a calendar year.

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