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 The gift-giver loves me despite my faults, just as Christians believe that God loves and forgives them despite their faults. — oregonlive, "Dear Annie: How much do parents owe adult children?," 4 Jan. 2020 The gift-giver loves me despite my faults, just as Christians believe that God loves and forgives them despite their faults. — cleveland, "Dear Annie: We feel guilty spending money instead of saving it for our children and grandchildren," 4 Jan. 2020 Betka said community members have chipped in with their own Christmas gifts, dropping off hot cocoa and gift cards for him. — Evan Casey, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "This crossing guard has spent 2,500 school days making sure Port Washington students are safe," 30 Dec. 2019 Ups and downs from the season finale, a sloppy Broncos victory that was nearly gift-wrapped to the Raiders. — Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, "Broncos up-down drill: Best and worst performances against the Raiders," 29 Dec. 2019 Pasadena High School head basketball coach Jason Pillow was hoping one of his Christmas gifts would have been a Gold Division berth at his own Eric Medina Memorial Christmas Classic this weekend. — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, "Pasadena Eagles finish Medina Memorial Christmas Classic with 51-42 win," 29 Dec. 2019 Gates was her Secret Santa, and his gifts put the boss Claus to shame. — Scottie Andrew, CNN, "Hitchhiking dogs, a celebrity Secret Santa and holidays in space," 28 Dec. 2019 Kim Kardashian West beat out Santa Claus this year for best Christmas gift-giver in her family. — Heran Mamo, Billboard, "See Which Two Pop Stars' Treasures Kim Kardashian Gifted to Her Daughter North & Brother Rob," 27 Dec. 2019 Then again, maybe your holiday gifts weren't so holly and jolly. — Wired Staff, Wired, "Got some Holiday Cash? Check Out These After-Christmas Deals," 27 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb After two and a half months of renovations, Cinemark gifted its sole Indianapolis theater more-comfortable chairs, adult beverages, better technology and the chance to catch blockbuster movies the first time around. — Domenica Bongiovanni, Indianapolis Star, "Cinemark Greenwood Corner: 5 things to know about the Indianapolis movie theater's revamp," 2 Jan. 2020 The spot was subsequently slammed on social media because Ruiz’s unseen husband gifted her the $2,245 stationery bike, despite her being a healthy (and very slender) size. — Lynette Rice, EW.com, "The Bold and the Beautiful," 18 Dec. 2019 Just in time for gifting season, Sony Music Entertainment's merchandise agency, The Thread Shop, has signed a new deal to produce merch for the iconic rock band in North America. — Tatiana Cirisano, Billboard, "New Beatles Merch Is Headed to Sony Music's Thread Shop," 4 Dec. 2019 Apparently, Sam Smith hates Christmas music yet still gifted us a soothing rendition of this classic. — The Editors, Marie Claire, "The 32 Best Christmas Songs Gifted to Us by Celebrities," 29 Nov. 2019 Best self-care gifts The Soothe gifting set comes with three sachets of fragrant, coconut milk-rich bath salts and — maybe more importantly — a $150 massage gift card. — Jessica Migala, NBC News, "Best 18 relaxation gifts and stress-relieving gifts of 2019," 25 Nov. 2019 Here’s another holiday gifting idea that a reader shared with me this week. — Annie Lane | Creators.com, oregonlive, "Dear Annie: Charitable donations make great gifts for those who don’t need anything," 25 Nov. 2019 Previously, Kylie gave off Christmas gifting vibes by wearing a sparkly red dress with a huge bow on the back. — Amy Mackelden, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kylie Jenner Is a Literal Christmas Gift in the Kylie Cosmetics Holiday Collection Advert," 16 Nov. 2019 Say hello to your new holiday wish list: Christian Louboutin created an enviable capsule collection for Nordstorm with endless holiday gifting ideas in mind. — Maggie Maloney, Town & Country, "Christian Louboutin's Adorable Baby Shoes Are Back in His New Nordstrom Collection," 7 Nov. 2019

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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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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