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
gifted; gifting; gifts
1
: to endow with some power, quality, or attribute
She's been gifted with a beautiful voice.
2
a
: 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
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
Dorothy Rochmis
gamete intrafallopian transfer; gamete intrafallopian tube transfer
Synonyms
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 WebKatie Chang, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Some rough math: $1,000 in holiday gifts charged at 20% APR, paying $50 a month, would take 25 months to pay off with an extra $225 in interest.
—Christine Romans, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2023
Make your gift of any amount today and join the tens of thousands of ProPublicans across the country, standing up for the power of independent journalism to produce real, lasting change.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 28 Nov. 2023
This deal eases the pain for a serious collectible that's sure to be the ultimate gift for the Potter fan in your life.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
La Mer’s legendary moisturizer—a perfect gift for mom!—is also $30 off right now, ringing in at $170.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023
Cyber Monday is here, which means time is running out to buy gifts for everyone on your list — for less.
—Rachel Trujillo, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Take 20% off sitewide on all the foodie gifts from 11/17 through 11/28 with code GIFTBETTER.
—Donna Kim, Bon Appétit, 27 Nov. 2023
And ahead of the holidays, these types of wellness-centric products make for the perfect gift for the fit people in your life.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
Anna Tingley, Variety, 29 Nov. 2023
In 2010, his mother, who was still a citizen and resident of Poland, won the lottery there and decided to gift the taxpayer $830,000 over a two-year period.
—Hale Sheppard, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Need to gift your husband who can’t get up without a cup of coffee?
—Melanie Curry, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023
In Paris Amour enamel cord bracelet The perfect stocking stuffer to gift your little sister or best friend this holiday season.
—Porter Simmons, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2023
Below, find more unique stocking stuffer ideas to gift this year.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
The watch arrives in a Michael Kors box that’s ready to gift.
—Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2023
Tap the wisdom of a behavioral economist for the gifting season.
—Mallika Mitra, wsj.com, 14 Nov. 2023
On Valentine's Day, a source also confirmed to PEOPLE that the Fight Club actor gifted de Ramon with a large bouquet of flowers, which she was spotted carrying.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
See More
Noun
Le Monde Gourmand Miel Bourbon Candle, $28.00 Like getting two gifts in one, this wallet-friendly number draws inspiration from Southern drinking culture and cocktail bars.
—Katie Chang, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Some rough math: $1,000 in holiday gifts charged at 20% APR, paying $50 a month, would take 25 months to pay off with an extra $225 in interest.
—Christine Romans, NBC News, 28 Nov. 2023
Make your gift of any amount today and join the tens of thousands of ProPublicans across the country, standing up for the power of independent journalism to produce real, lasting change.
—Eli Hager, ProPublica, 28 Nov. 2023
This deal eases the pain for a serious collectible that's sure to be the ultimate gift for the Potter fan in your life.
—Nena Farrell, WIRED, 27 Nov. 2023
La Mer’s legendary moisturizer—a perfect gift for mom!—is also $30 off right now, ringing in at $170.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 27 Nov. 2023
Cyber Monday is here, which means time is running out to buy gifts for everyone on your list — for less.
—Rachel Trujillo, Peoplemag, 27 Nov. 2023
Take 20% off sitewide on all the foodie gifts from 11/17 through 11/28 with code GIFTBETTER.
—Donna Kim, Bon Appétit, 27 Nov. 2023
And ahead of the holidays, these types of wellness-centric products make for the perfect gift for the fit people in your life.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
Verb
Check out more of the best candles to gift this year here.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 29 Nov. 2023
In 2010, his mother, who was still a citizen and resident of Poland, won the lottery there and decided to gift the taxpayer $830,000 over a two-year period.
—Hale Sheppard, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2023
Need to gift your husband who can’t get up without a cup of coffee?
—Melanie Curry, Glamour, 27 Nov. 2023
In Paris Amour enamel cord bracelet The perfect stocking stuffer to gift your little sister or best friend this holiday season.
—Porter Simmons, Vogue, 24 Nov. 2023
Below, find more unique stocking stuffer ideas to gift this year.
—Anna Tingley, Variety, 16 Nov. 2023
The watch arrives in a Michael Kors box that’s ready to gift.
—Moriah Mason, Southern Living, 14 Nov. 2023
Tap the wisdom of a behavioral economist for the gifting season.
—Mallika Mitra, wsj.com, 14 Nov. 2023
On Valentine's Day, a source also confirmed to PEOPLE that the Fight Club actor gifted de Ramon with a large bouquet of flowers, which she was spotted carrying.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 13 Nov. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gift.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun and Verb
Middle English, from Old Norse, something given, talent; akin to Old English giefan to give
First Known Use
Noun
12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
circa 1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of gift was
in the 12th century
Phrases Containing gift
Dictionary Entries Near gift
Cite this Entry
“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gift. Accessed 11 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Medical Definition
GIFT
abbreviation
gamete intrafallopian transfer; gamete intrafallopian tube transfer
Legal Definition
gift
noun1
: 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.
More from Merriam-Webster on gift
Nglish: Translation of gift for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of gift for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gift
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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