1
a
: to hold or maintain as a possession, privilege, or entitlement
they have a new car
I have my rights
b
: to hold in one's use, service, regard, or at one's disposal
the group will have enough tickets for everyone
we don't have time to stay
c
: to hold, include, or contain as a part or whole
the car has power brakes
April has 30 days
2
: to feel obligation in regard to
—usually used with an infinitive with to
we have things to do
have a deadline to meet
3
: to stand in a certain relationship to
has three fine children
we will have the wind at our backs
4
5
6
a
: to experience especially by submitting to, undergoing, or suffering
I have a cold
b
: to make the effort to perform (an action) or engage in (an activity)
have a look at that cut
c
: to entertain in the mind
have an opinion
7
a
: to cause or command to do something
—used with the infinitive without to
have the children stay
b
: to cause to be in a certain place or state
has people around at all times
8
: allow
we'll have no more of that
9
: to be competent in
has only a little French
10
11
: bear sense 3a
have a baby
12
: to partake of
have dinner
have a piece
1
—used with the past participle to form the present perfect, past perfect, or future perfect
has gone home
had already eaten
will have finished dinner by then
2
: to be compelled, obliged, or required
—used with an infinitive with to or to alone
we had to go
do what you have to
it has to be said
: one that is well-endowed especially in material wealth
the haves and have-nots
Phrases
had better
or had best
: would be wise to
had better go to bed
: to go at or deal with : attack
like two boxers having at each other
: to deserve or merit what one gets, benefits by, or suffers
he had that coming
: to bring to an end : have no further concern with
let us have done with name-calling
1
: to have had or have done all one is going to be allowed to
He's been cheating me for years but now he's had it.
2
: to have experienced, endured, or suffered all one can
Her old beater has finally had it.
: to intend to do harm to
: to settle a matter of contention by discussion or a fight
thinks they just need to have it out
: to refuse to have anything to do with
We will have none of that.
1
a
: to look at
b
: to watch constantly and attentively
2
: to have as an objective
has her eye on a little cottage in the country
1
: to deal with
the story has to do with real people—
Alice M. Jordan
Alice M. Jordan2
: to have a specified relationship with or effect on
the size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligence—Ruth Benedict
Ruth Benedict
Synonyms
Examples of have in a Sentence
Verb
Do they have a new car?
You can have it until I get back.
She has a red bike, and I have a blue one.
She got another part-time job and now she has two jobs.
I'm looking for the newspaper. Do you have it?
He had the newspaper right in his hand.
I used to have a necklace like that, but I lost it.
She used to share a room with her sister, but now she has her own room.
Have they got a new car?
We've got things to do.
Noun
a society that discriminates between the haves and the have-nots
See More
Recent Examples on the Webcleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
Mixing supplements can sometimes have adverse effects or lower the efficacy of one or both supplements.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 19 Sep. 2023
More than 6 million Japanese people are estimated to have dementia, and the number is expected to grow as high as 7.3 million — or 1 in 5 people over the age of 65 — by 2025, according to the Health Ministry.
—Julia Mio Inuma, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
The right-wing media has more power to set the news agenda than the mainstream media.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 18 Sep. 2023
The Cowboys had the ball for more than 42 minutes, ran 83 plays and converted 9 of 18 third-down chances, leaving the Jets’ offense little chance to get going.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
As a member of BTS, V has an additional nine top 40 appearances, with three of those songs reaching No. 3.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2023
Situated on just 25 acres, a compact footprint for a Las Vegas casino, the resort is vertically integrated — the casino has 42-foot ceilings — with the restaurants and other amenities set apart from gaming action.
—Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Sep. 2023
Outside of film, Hunnicutt has a great stage presence, too.
—Clare Fisher, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023
Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
As a result, Venezuela is increasingly a country of haves and have-nots, and one of the world’s most unequal societies, according to Encovi, a respected national poll by the Institute of Economic and Social Research of the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas.
—Frances Robles Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2023
Sternlicht argued this is evidence the office sector will be split into haves and have-nots in the coming years—and many have-nots may go out of business.
—Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 21 July 2023
Tuesday night was a reminder of what the A’s have in Oakland.
—Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 June 2023
But behind their prosperity is a workforce divided into haves and have-nots, based on their employment status.
—Naomi Nix, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
The tactile, class-conscious aesthetic of haves (Ali Wong’s Amy) and have-nots (Steven Yeun’s Danny), created by production designer Grace Yun and art director Michael Hersey, pursue a metaphorical vision.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 31 May 2023
Today, this sense of haves versus have-nots is starting to create a caste system that can make everyone feel bad.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023
This disruption of rural society caused bitter conflicts between the emerging classes of haves and have-nots that in places manifested as witch hunts.
—Silvia Federici, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2023
See More
Verb
The house was built in 1957 and has a living area of 1,110 square feet.
—cleveland, 19 Sep. 2023
Mixing supplements can sometimes have adverse effects or lower the efficacy of one or both supplements.
—Maggie O'Neill, Health, 19 Sep. 2023
More than 6 million Japanese people are estimated to have dementia, and the number is expected to grow as high as 7.3 million — or 1 in 5 people over the age of 65 — by 2025, according to the Health Ministry.
—Julia Mio Inuma, Washington Post, 19 Sep. 2023
The right-wing media has more power to set the news agenda than the mainstream media.
—Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 18 Sep. 2023
The Cowboys had the ball for more than 42 minutes, ran 83 plays and converted 9 of 18 third-down chances, leaving the Jets’ offense little chance to get going.
—Ken Belson, New York Times, 18 Sep. 2023
As a member of BTS, V has an additional nine top 40 appearances, with three of those songs reaching No. 3.
—Lars Brandle, Billboard, 18 Sep. 2023
Situated on just 25 acres, a compact footprint for a Las Vegas casino, the resort is vertically integrated — the casino has 42-foot ceilings — with the restaurants and other amenities set apart from gaming action.
—Melinda Sheckells, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Sep. 2023
Outside of film, Hunnicutt has a great stage presence, too.
—Clare Fisher, Peoplemag, 7 Sep. 2023
Noun
The toll of the pandemic and climate change keep exposing, in ways big and small, the grim inequities between the world’s haves and have-nots.
—Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
As a result, Venezuela is increasingly a country of haves and have-nots, and one of the world’s most unequal societies, according to Encovi, a respected national poll by the Institute of Economic and Social Research of the Andrés Bello Catholic University in Caracas.
—Frances Robles Adriana Loureiro Fernandez, New York Times, 21 Mar. 2023
Sternlicht argued this is evidence the office sector will be split into haves and have-nots in the coming years—and many have-nots may go out of business.
—Bywill Daniel, Fortune, 21 July 2023
Tuesday night was a reminder of what the A’s have in Oakland.
—Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 14 June 2023
But behind their prosperity is a workforce divided into haves and have-nots, based on their employment status.
—Naomi Nix, Washington Post, 5 July 2023
The tactile, class-conscious aesthetic of haves (Ali Wong’s Amy) and have-nots (Steven Yeun’s Danny), created by production designer Grace Yun and art director Michael Hersey, pursue a metaphorical vision.
—A.d. Amorosi, Variety, 31 May 2023
Today, this sense of haves versus have-nots is starting to create a caste system that can make everyone feel bad.
—Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2023
This disruption of rural society caused bitter conflicts between the emerging classes of haves and have-nots that in places manifested as witch hunts.
—Silvia Federici, Scientific American, 17 Apr. 2023
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'have.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Old English habban; akin to Old High German habēn to have, and perhaps to hevan to lift — more at heave entry 1
First Known Use
Verb
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun
1836, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of have was
before the 12th century
Phrases Containing have
Dictionary Entries Near have
Cite this Entry
“Have.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have. Accessed 25 Sep. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
have
1 of 2 verb
(ˈ)hav 
(h)əv,
v;
in ",
have to ",
meaning ",
must ",
usually ˈhaf
1
a
: possess sense 1, own
have a dog
have the right to vote
b
: to consist of
April has 30 days
2
: to be forced by duty or conscience in regard to : must
have to go
have a letter to write
3
: to stand in relationship to
has three sisters
4
a
: obtain sense 1, get
the best to be had
b
: receive sense 1
had bad news
c
: accept sense 1a
especially
: to accept in marriage
she wouldn't have him
5
a
: to be marked or characterized by
has red hair
b
: reveal sense 1
had the courage to refuse
c
: use entry 2 sense 3, exercise
have mercy
6
a
: experience entry 2, undergo
have a good time
I have a cold
b
: to perform an action or engage in an activity
have a look at that mess
had a fight
c
: to hold in the mind
have an opinion
have doubts
7
a
: to cause to do or be done
had my hair cut
please have the children stay
b
: to cause to be
has everyone confused
8
: permit entry 1 sense 1
we'll have no more of that
9
a
: to hold an advantage over
we have them now
b
: trick entry 2 sense 1, fool
been had by a partner
10
: bear entry 2 sense 2a
have a baby
11
: to partake of
have dinner
12
: bribe entry 2
can be had for a price
13
—used as a helping verb with the past participle of another verb
has gone home
had already eaten
will have finished dinner by then
have
2 of 2 noun
: one that has much material wealth
More from Merriam-Webster on have
Nglish: Translation of have for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of have for Arabic Speakers
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