given

adjective

giv·en | \ ˈgi-vən

Definition of given

(Entry 1 of 3)

1 : prone, disposed given to swearing

2 : presented as a gift : bestowed without compensation

3a : particular, specified at a given time

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

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 of course, as Ms. Churchland makes clear, moral behavior varies from culture to culture, depending on how a given society classifies cooperation and caring. — Andrew Stark, WSJ, "‘Conscience’ Review: Wired to Care," 12 June 2019 At any given moment, there are 100,000 migrants moving through Mexico, bound for our southern border. — Todd J. Gillman, Dallas News, "With Texas already teetering in 2020, could Trump's Mexico tariffs cost GOP the White House?," 7 June 2019 At any given moment, our planet is circled by NOAA satellites that transmit detailed information back to Earth, informing weather forecasts, climatological research – and you. — Erin Blakemore, The Seattle Times, "Seeking the big picture of our planet? Check out satellite images on NOAA’s website.," 19 Feb. 2019 Through the sheer force of his will, Mr. Bogle, known as Jack, almost singlehandedly made index funds—which hold virtually every security in a given market—a practical and popular option for institutional and individual investors alike. — Jason Zweig, WSJ, "John C. Bogle, Founder of Vanguard Group, Dies at 89," 17 Jan. 2019 Actors’ Equity recently released its first regional theater report, which compared the number of union members in a given market to the number of work weeks per year. — Kelundra Smith, New York Times, "A Boom in Filming Gives Atlanta Stage Actors Room to Maneuver," 4 May 2018 At any given moment, though, small charge imbalances exist between different parts of the plasma. — Chris Lee, Ars Technica, "Technical tour-de-force traps positrons," 11 Dec. 2018 Jeimer Candelario is slumping, Victor Martinez offers little with the bat and there is only one hitter that can beat an opponent on any given night: Nicholas Castellanos. — Anthony Fenech, Detroit Free Press, "Detroit Tigers takeaways from loss to Rays: They simply can't hit," 11 July 2018 How did the American left—conceived to bring more compassion and justice to the world—become so given to hate? — Shelby Steele, WSJ, "Why the Left Is Consumed With Hate," 23 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

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 As the second half of the bill will explain, the emotional givens are only part of the equation. — Jesse Green, New York Times, "Review: In a Double Bill of Physical Comedy, Laughter Is the Best Reflex," 1 Nov. 2017 The school has a very active group of parents and emphasizes science and technology — things that are not givens in many city schools. — Kristen A. Graham, Philly.com, "9 local schools win coveted National Blue Ribbon honor," 28 Sep. 2017

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.