Definition of give
gave
play \ˈgāv\;given
play \ˈgi-vən\;giving
transitive verb
1 : to make a present of give a doll to a child
2a : to grant or bestow by formal action the law gives citizens the right to voteb : to accord or yield to another gave him her confidence
3a : to put into the possession of another for his or her use gave me his phone numberb (1) : to administer as a sacrament (2) : to administer as a medicinec : to commit to another as a trust or responsibility and usually for an expressed reasond : to transfer from one's authority or custody the sheriff gave the prisoner to the wardene : to execute and deliver all employees must give bondf : to convey to another give them my regards
4a : to offer to the action of another : proffer gave her his handb : to yield (oneself) to a man in sexual intercourse
5a : to present in public performance give a concertb : to present to view or observation gave the signal to start
6 : to provide by way of entertainment give a party
7 : to propose as a toast
8a : to designate as a share or portion : allot all the earth to thee and to thy race I give — John Miltonb : to make assignment of (a name)c : to set forth as an actual or hypothetical datum give the dimensions of the roomd : to attribute in thought or utterance : ascribe gave the credit to you
give birth
give birth to
give chase
give ground
give of
give or take
give place to
give rise to
give the gun
give the lie to
give tongue
give way
Read the Latest from M-W
Examples of give in a Sentence
She gave him a camera for Christmas.
Are you giving this to me or only lending it?
She has given money to many worthy causes.
They're asking people to give money for a new hospital.
Please give to our charity.
We already gave at the office.
It is better to give than to receive.
He gave me the letter.
He gave her his coat to hold.
He gave me a head start.
Recent Examples of give from the Web
-
Given that synopsis, note that this one is best for ages 3 and older.)
-
To this point, Maddon has given his players ample rest, with the possible exception of sluggers Kris Bryant and Anthony Rizzo.
-
Wheeler was giving a name to an idea first explored by Albert Einstein 50 years earlier, in his influential theory of general relativity.
-
But beyond the initial trademark application, there was no definitive proof of the venture, nor were there any details given about when the service would be available—until now.
-
The city will give the car seat maker $4 million toward its expansion, which will include a $26 million, 240,000-square-foot factory and 200 new employees to start, bringing the total to 750 from a current 550.
-
The photograph’s earlier stoicism gives way to the performance of grief, as if melodrama were supplanting faith.
-
The grant awarded to Naperville and Aurora was the largest given to any municipality or agency in Illinois, and the 12th largest nationally.
-
The study also gave participants a Fitbit to track activity and sleep patterns.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'give.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of give
Middle English, of Scandinavian origin; akin to Old Swedish giva to give; akin to Old English giefan, gifan to give, and perhaps to Latin habēre to have, hold
Synonym Discussion of give
give
Definition of give
1 : capacity or tendency to yield to force or strain : flexibility
2 : the ability of a material to bend or stretch The knitted fabric has a lot of give to it.
Recent Examples of give from the Web
-
Deciding just when and how police should engage with the mentally ill is a risky give-and-take that’s been hotly debated among experts for years.
-
The survey, released earlier this week, found that another 21% give Trump's performance a ‘
-
Look for peaches, plums or nectarines that are firm to the touch but have a little give.
-
A little give and take over at the Sprint Center: Live Nation KC announced that Paula Abdul would not perform in a concert scheduled for Monday, June 12, because of an injury.
-
Secondly, the removable mic doesn’t have much give.
-
Akinci insists on negotiating all outstanding issues together as part of a give-and-take process.
-
A post shared by Somethings Gotta Give (@samxurrier) on Feb 14, 2017 at 3:21pm PST 3.
-
Is there a possibility of a super, super smooth Brexit and a big give from the EU?
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'give.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of give
see 1give
GIVE Defined for Kids
Definition of give for Students
gave
\ˈgāv\;given
\ˈgiv-ən\;giving
1 : to hand over to be kept : present He gave her a present.
2 : to cause to have Don't give me trouble.
3 : to let someone or something have give permission
4 : to offer for consideration or acceptance Can you give an example?
5 : 2utter give a yell give a speech
6 : furnish 2, provide give support The candle gives light. I'm giving a party.
7 : 1pay 1 She gave me 20 dollars for my old skates.
8 : to deliver by some bodily action I gave her a hug.
give in
give out
give up
give way
Definition of give for Students
: the ability to be bent or stretched The rope was tight, but still had some give.
Medical Dictionary
Law Dictionary
give
Legal Definition of give
gave
given
giving
1a : to make a gift of I give the remainder of my estate to my wife — compare convey, sell b : to grant or bestow by formal action the law gives citizens the right to vote
2a : to transfer from one's authority or custody the sheriff gave the prisoner to the warden b : to execute and deliver all officers must give bond c : to communicate or impart to another failed to give adequate notice d : to offer or submit for the consideration of another give testimony in court
3 : to yield possession of by way of exchange
4a : to impose as punishment b : to award by formal verdict judgment was given against the plaintiff
giver
nounLearn More about give
-
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for give Spanish Central: Translation of give Nglish: Translation of give for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of give for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up give? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!