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
3
: presented as a gift : bestowed without compensation
5
: immediately present in experience
given
nounDefinition 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
prepositionDefinition 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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Synonyms & Antonyms for given
Synonyms: Adjective
Synonyms: Noun
- assumption,
- hypothetical,
- if,
- postulate,
- premise
- (also premiss),
- presumption,
- presupposition,
- supposition
Antonyms: Adjective
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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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective
And that’s the most challenging part of assessing this franchise in the given moment.
—
Scott Kushner, NOLA.com, "Kushner: Difference between good and bad Pelicans is often dependent on Lonzo Ball's play," 4 Feb. 2021
At any given moment in time and space, energy can never be perfectly zero—there is always some wiggle room.
—
Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, "The Cosmological Constant Is Physics’ Most Embarrassing Problem," 1 Feb. 2021
These resources are nonpartisan, created in partnership with organizations representing the range of experiences and opinions about any given issue.
—
Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "Too many Thanksgiving or Election Day disagreements? Here's how to have a better argument," 26 Nov. 2020
These aren't necessarily the best deals on iPads at any given moment as each sale carries multiple discounts, but this will give you an idea of what's on offer at major retailers.
—
Lauren Levy, NBC News, "Best Black Friday Apple deals 2020: Apple Watch, AirPods and more," 27 Nov. 2020
At any given moment, there are struggles that may seem insurmountable.
—
Maria Shine Stewart, cleveland, "Thanksgiving reflection on the power of gratitude: Sun Messages," 23 Nov. 2020
At any given moment, my garage is loaded with at least a dozen rolls of foil and an assortment of disposable foil pans.
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Chuck Blount, ExpressNews.com, "Chuck’s Food Shack: Cooking seafood in foil packets makes for an ocean’s bounty of options," 23 Nov. 2020
Even quite junior staff would sometimes hear quite senior staff pooh-pooh any need to dig deeper for pertinent information on a given issue.
—
Bruce Bartlett, The New Republic, "Bush Doesn’t Look Better in Hindsight. He Looks Worse.," 23 Nov. 2020
In any given moment, Trump’s behavior may seem confounding, vexing, self-defeating, unconscionable, unpredictable.
—
James Hamblin, The Atlantic, "The Rise of COVID Denial," 31 Oct. 2020
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.
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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.
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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.
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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
See MoreThese 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.
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Dictionary Entries near given
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Last Updated
22 Feb 2021
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Cite this Entry
“Given.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/given. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.
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More Definitions for given
given
adjective
English Language Learners Definition of given
(Entry 1 of 3)
—used to refer to a particular time, place, etc., that has been, will be, or might be specified
given
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of given (Entry 2 of 3)
: something that is regarded or accepted as true or real : a basic fact or assumption
given
prepositionEnglish Language Learners Definition of given (Entry 3 of 3)
—used to indicate something that is being assumed or considered —often used in the phrase given that
See the full definition for given in the English Language Learners Dictionary
given
adjective
giv·en
| \ ˈgi-vən
\
\
Kids Definition of given
1
: being likely to have or do something
They are given to quarreling.
2
: decided on beforehand
We meet at a given time.
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Time Traveler for given
The first known use of given was in the 14th century
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