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 Nomadland is a beautiful, humanistic film, confirming Zhao’s gift for finding lyricism in real pain and vice versa. — Lidija Haas, The New Republic, "How Real Is Nomadland?," 5 Mar. 2021 Her package, a Louis Vuitton handbag, was a birthday gift for a grieving friend. — Thomas Gryta, WSJ, "FedEx Delivery Delays Stretch for Weeks After Storms Hit Memphis Hub," 3 Mar. 2021 Ugg boots were arguably the it-gift for the holidays this year, and Y2K staples like low-rise jeans and Juicy Couture sweats have a cult-like following on TikTok. — Bella Cacciatore, Glamour, "Like It or Not, Smudgy Black Eyeliner Is Back," 3 Mar. 2021 Selecting the perfect gift for your best friend is no easy task. — Daria Smith, Southern Living, "50 Gifts for Your Best Friend," 3 Mar. 2021 This premium jerky subscription makes a unique and thoughtful gift for your favorite carnivore (and yes, that includes yourself). — Tessa Bahoosh, USA TODAY, "20 of the most popular subscriptions on Cratejoy," 2 Mar. 2021 The prince also revealed the family’s breakfast routine following a gift from the queen for his 21-month-old son, Archie. — Washington Post, "Prince Harry slams ‘toxic’ tabloids for harming his mental health as the queen calls for more covid jabs," 26 Feb. 2021 Nui Onoue, an obscure Osaka restaurant owner, who claimed a supernatural gift for predicting stock prices by invoking the powers of a magical toad statue. — Fortune, "With the Nikkei above 30,000, can Japan exorcise ghosts of its 1980s bubble?," 25 Feb. 2021 And even better than finding that perfect gift for your friends and family is to give back to the Black community while doing so. — Akili King, Vogue, "90 Gifts From Black-Owned Businesses to Give This Year," 24 Feb. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb If anyone on your list falls into the latter category, gift them a subscription to Book of the Month. — Amanda Tarlton, USA TODAY, "The 10 best last-minute Christmas gifts you can still get," 25 Dec. 2020 If your giftee is opening up their most coveted bottle this holiday season, gift them this aerator pourer. — Kiana Murden, CNN Underscored, "Know someone who loves wine? These are the gifts for them," 11 Dec. 2020 One of the girls just had her 10th birthday and was excited with the little things staff at the shelter was able to gift to her. — Washington Post, "Stark, devastating pleas show child poverty and covid colliding to create ‘an unimaginable time’ for country’s youngest," 23 Dec. 2020 West did show up for his wife's notorious island birthday last October, but just for one day — enough time to gift her a weird hologram of her late father. — Natalie Morin, refinery29.com, "The Impending Kanye West & Kim Kardashian West Split Will Be Way Messier Than You Think," 6 Jan. 2021 Make a double batch and package in small refrigerator containers to gift to your former brunch buddies with the dry pancake mix and instructions for cooking. — Jeanmarie Brownson, chicagotribune.com, "Ring in the new year with restaurant-worthy brunch recipes that re-create the weekend meal’s leisurely magic," 30 Dec. 2020 Substitute Axel Tuanzebe unwittingly deflected a shot from Jamie Vardy into his own net in the 85th to gift Leicester a 2-2 draw at home to United. — Steve Douglas, ajc, "Youngsters deliver for Arsenal as scrutiny shifts to Lampard," 26 Dec. 2020 There are a limited number of spots available for each event, so make sure to reserve your spot (or gift it to someone else) as soon as possible. — Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, "Learn How to Make Magnolia Bakery's Famous Banana Pudding," 26 Dec. 2020 Waithe encouraged Cynthia Erivo to also gift pies to her friends, including Oprah, which led Lush Yummies to be featured in O Magazine twice in 2020. — Essence, "How A Kind Gesture From Lena Waithe and Pitch Competitions Helped Grow This Pie Business," 23 Dec. 2020

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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Learn More about gift

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster

Dictionary Entries near gift

Statistics for gift

Last Updated

8 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gift. Accessed 8 Mar. 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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