given

adjective

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giv·en | \ ˈgi-vən

Definition of given

(Entry 1 of 3)

1a : particular, specified at a given time

b : assumed as actual or hypothetical : granted given that all are equal before the law

2 : prone, disposed given to swearing

3 : presented as a gift : bestowed without compensation

4 of an official document : having been executed : dated

5 : immediately present in experience

given

noun

Definition of given (Entry 2 of 3)

: something given especially : something taken for granted : a basic condition or assumption It is a given that we are in an age of relentless competition.

given

preposition

Definition of given (Entry 3 of 3)

: in view of : considering Given what she knew about others' lives, how could she complain about her own?— Marilyn French

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Examples of given in a Sentence

Adjective a quiet man not given to loud expressions of emotion candidates for the quiz show must complete the qualifying test within a given amount of time Noun In our system it is a given that all are equal before the law. it's a given that television viewers are influenced by advertising, even consciously or subconsciously

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective But the purchase of Marshall Fields in the Midwest angered local shoppers for years, while other acquisitions led to having two Macy's stores too close together in a given market, at times with very different layouts and looks. — Phil Wahba, Fortune, "Macy’s to shutter 125 more stores," 5 Feb. 2020 At the Slingshot's pyrotechnics-laden debut in Las Vegas, Polaris CEO Scott Wine told dealers that a company's first product in a given market isn't always perfect right away. — Ezra Dyer, Car and Driver, "2020 Polaris Slingshot Still Perplexes Us," 23 Jan. 2020 That suggests there's not a lot of room for multiple scooter companies in a given market. — Ars Staff, Ars Technica, "This time, for sure! Ars Technica’s 2020 Deathwatch," 2 Jan. 2020 In any given caliber, increased velocity decreases barrel life. — Ron Spomer, Outdoor Life, "The .30/06 Springfield: Why This Old Cartridge is Still the Best for Big Game Hunting," 5 Mar. 2019 Living in a new environment post-settlement is also not very easy, given common scarcity of resources and the need to start over. — Arash Javanbakht, The Conversation, "Veterans, refugees and victims of war crimes are all vulnerable to PTSD," 21 Jan. 2020 To cut down on abuse, there's a small, random chance of any given transaction being audited. — Kate Cox, Ars Technica, "I broke Giant’s handheld scanner system by only buying two things," 13 Jan. 2020 Rodman Linn, an atmospheric scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, does computational modeling of how fires interact with the surrounding atmosphere to predict how a given fire behaves. — Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, "Scientists model dynamic feedback loop that fuels the spread of wildfires," 28 Dec. 2019 One study found that closing an automotive plant in a given American county has been associated with 85% higher opioid overdose death rates in that county after five years. — Aj Willingham, CNN, "5 things to know for December 31: Wildfires, Nissan, Russia call, opioids," 31 Dec. 2019 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun That had coach James Borrego stressing that there would be no givens with his lineups going forward. — Ira Winderman, sun-sentinel.com, "Winderman: Reconfigured Heat get to see how others reinvented | Commentary," 30 Nov. 2019 Cassidy has David Krejci, Jake DeBrusk, and Coyle as his three givens on his second and third lines. — BostonGlobe.com, "However, the other three lines scored only twice (Ritchie and Danton Heinen) across 12 periods. One week is a tiny sample size, to be sure, but the tepid production served as a reminder that secondary scoring, a key to the Cup drive last spring, ultimately will have to be mined.," 12 Oct. 2019 And though both are givens in fashion drops around their respective season, corduroy still hasn't totally shed its nostalgic veneer. — Ana Colón, Glamour, "The Best Corduroy Pieces to Shop for Fall 2018," 22 Sep. 2018 Getty There are a few givens in the life of a professional tennis player: constant training, a calorie-pinching diet, and global travel for 11 months out of the year. — Jeryl Lippe, Condé Nast Traveler, "Venus Williams and Rafael Nadal Told Us Their Dream Vacations," 27 Aug. 2018 Of that group, Friedrich and Cosart are far from givens to return – at least on major league deals. — Jeff Sanders, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Friar talk: Early look at Padres' 2018 payroll," 11 Oct. 2017 To Jones, there are two givens, his enduring love for South Florida, with an upcoming return to his Southwest Ranches home in summer, and an abiding respect for the Heat's culture. — Ira Winderman, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Winderman: Faith in Heat future extends beyond organization itself | Commentary," 14 July 2018 Tennessee's defense will be one of the great givens of the 2018-19 season. — Patrick Stevens, chicagotribune.com, "Way-too-early projection of the 2019 NCAA tournament field: Loyola the only team from Illinois again," 3 Apr. 2018 Although people are born with some biological givens, the brain has many blank pages. — Rob Verger, Newsweek, "Newsweek Rewind: 15 Years After Columbine, a Nation Still Asks ‘Why?’," 17 Apr. 2014

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