have

1 of 2

verb

ˈhav 

(h)əv,

v;

 in "have to" meaning "must" usually  ˈhaf

had ˈhad 

(h)əd,

d

; having ˈha-viŋ  ; has ˈhaz 

(h)əz,

z,

s;

 in "has to" meaning "must" usually  ˈhas

transitive verb

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

a

: to acquire or get possession of : obtain

these shoes are the best to be had

b

: receive

She asked if he had any news.

c

: accept

so burnt no one would have a piece

specifically : to accept in marriage

could find no one who would have him

d

: to copulate with

claims to have had many women

5

a

: to be marked or characterized by (a quality, attribute, or faculty)

both have red hair

has a way with words

b

: exhibit, show

had the gall to refuse

c

: use, exercise

have mercy on us

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

a

: to hold in a position of disadvantage or certain defeat

we have him now

b

: to take advantage of : trick, fool

been had by a partner

11

: bear sense 3a

have a baby

12

: to partake of

have dinner

have a piece

13

: bribe, suborn

can be had for a price

auxiliary verb

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

have

2 of 2

noun

ˈhav 

: 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

have at

: to go at or deal with : attack

like two boxers having at each other

have coming

: to deserve or merit what one gets, benefits by, or suffers

he had that coming

have done

: finish, stop

wish you would have done before I go mad

have done with

: to bring to an end : have no further concern with

let us have done with name-calling

have had it

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.

have it

: assert, claim

rumor has it that he was drunk

have it in for

: to intend to do harm to

have it out

: to settle a matter of contention by discussion or a fight

thinks they just need to have it out

have none of

: to refuse to have anything to do with

We will have none of that.

have one's eye on

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

have to do with

1

: to deal with

the story has to do with real people

—Alice M. Jordan

2

: to have a specified relationship with or effect on

the size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligence

—Ruth Benedict

Synonyms

Verb

• command
• enjoy
• hold
• own
• possess
• retain

Noun

• capitalist
• Croesus
• deep pocket
• fat cat
• money
• moneybags
• plutocrat
• silk stocking

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

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The movie set, like all others, should have only had blanks on hand, but somehow a number of live rounds made their way to the location and one such bullet ended up in the gun that went off as Hutchins and Baldwin lined up a shot in an old church. —Marco Della Cava, USA Today, 1 May 2025

Elsewhere, Colorado does have strict policies in place for its athletics Hall of Fame. —Chantz Martin, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2025

Noun

Although college sports have long been characterized by a divide between the ‘haves and have nots’, mid-major basketball programs encounter even greater challenges competing within this evolving landscape due to limited resources and geographical constraints. —Mark Lasota, Forbes.com, 30 Mar. 2025

Children arrive into a trammeling grid of haves and have-nots set up long before their birth, a net that individual struggles serve only to tighten. —Benjamin Kunkel, Harpers Magazine, 28 Mar. 2025

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

circa 1739, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing have

• as luck would have it
• be on/have a short fuse
• could have fooled me
• could have kicked himself
• could have sworn
• didn't have the heart
• don't have a clue
• don't have all day
• eat/have someone or something for lunch
• get/have a handle on
• get/have a line on
• get/have an eyeful
• get/have/gain a/the jump on
• get/have/make a late start
• get/have one's bell rung
• get/have one's wires crossed
• get/have the wind up
• had nothing to recommend him
• have a ball
• have a bash
• have a bee in one's bonnet
• have a bellyful of
• have a big heart
• have a big mouth
• have a blitz on
• have a bun in the oven
• have a chip on one's shoulder
• have a cow
• have a devilish time
• have a few
• have a few minutes/moments
• have a few too many
• have a field day
• have a finger in a/the/every pie
• have a fit
• have a fling at (something)
• have a frog in one's throat
• have against
• have a go
• have a go at
• have a good day
• have a (good) laugh about (something)
• have a good mind
• have a good one
• have a grip
• have a hand in
• have a hard time
• have a head for
• have a high opinion of (something)
• have a high regard for
• have a hollow ring
• have a horror of
• have a hunch
• have a leak
• have a leg up
• have (all) one's bases covered
• have (all) the earmarks
• have (all) the makings of
• have (all) the markings of
• have all the time in the world
• have a lock on
• have a look
• have a loose screw
• have a lot going for you
• have a lot in common
• have a lot to answer for
• have a low opinion of (something)
• have a memory/mind like a sieve
• have a mind of one's own
• have a minute/moment/second
• have a moan
• have an eye to/toward
• have a nice day
• have another thing coming
• have any/much success
• have anything/something to say about
• have a part in
• have a part to play
• have a problem with
• have a quick wash
• have a role to play
• have a rough time (of it)
• have a rummage
• have a screw loose
• have a seat
• have a shit
• have a snit
• have a soft spot
• have a stab at
• have a thin time (of it)
• have a try
• have a way of (being something or doing something)
• have a way with
• have a word in your ear
• have a word with (someone)
• have bearing on
• have designs on
• have differences
• have done with it
• have every intention of
• have eyes in the back of one's head
• have faith in
• have feelings for
• have/get a corner on
• have/get one's head (screwed) on right/straight
• have/get one's nose/snout in the trough
• have/get one's (own) way
• have/get the goods on
• have/get the last laugh
• have got
• have (got) news for (someone)
• have (got) nothing left to prove
• have got one's claws into
• have (got) someone or something covered
• have (got) (something) down to a science
• have (got) the time
• have got to
• have (got) to go
• have half a mind
• have/hold the lead
• have/hold/want no truck with
• have hysterics
• have ice water in her veins
• have in one's possession
• have issues
• have it coming (to one)
• have it good
• have it in mind
• have it in one
• have it made
• have it made in the shade
• have it one's (own) way
• have it on good/excellent authority
• have it over
• have it rough
• have its beginnings
• have its uses
• have/keep an/one's eye out for
• have/keep half an eye on
• have/keep one's feet on the ground
• have/keep one's guard up
• have/keep/put one's finger on the pulse of
• have/keep (something) up one's sleeve
• have kittens
• have/know all the answers
• have little to recommend it
• have mercy
• have mercy/pity
• have more than one string to one's bow
• have much to commend it
• have much to recommend it
• have no faith
• have no idea
• have no intention of
• have no interest in
• have no one to blame but oneself
• have no part in
• have no recollection
• have-not
• have nothing against
• have nothing in common
• have nothing on (someone)
• have no use for
• have no wish
• have on
• have one foot in the grave
• have one pair of hands
• have one's cake and eat it
• have one's cake and eat it too
• have one's day in court
• have one's ducks in a row
• have one's hands full
• have one's head examined
• have one's heart set on (something)
• have one's hopes/sights fixed on
• have one's legs/feet/knees cut out from under (one)
• have one's moments
• have one's nose in
• have one's nose in the air
• have one's origin
• have one's tonsils out
• have one's way with
• have one's work cut out for one
• have (only) oneself to blame
• have other ideas
• have over
• have priority
• have/put one's hands in the till
• have/share more/less in common with
• have/share (something) in common
• have (someone) back
• have (someone) in the palm of one's hand
• have (someone) on a string
• have (someone or something) (all) to oneself
• have (someone or something) in mind
• have (someone or something) to thank for (something)
• have someone pegged
• have someone's back
• have someone's (best) interests at heart
• have someone's ear
• have someone's number
• have someone stumped
• have (someone) taped
• have some surprises up their sleeves
• have (something) (all) to oneself
• have (something) back
• have (something) going for one
• have (something) to spare
• have (something) written all over it
• (have) stars in one's eyes
• have/take a butcher's
• have/take a tinkle
• have/take a wander
• have/take a whack at
• have/take/get someone's measure
• have/take/get the measure of (someone)
• have/take precedence over
• have the appearance
• have the benefit of
• have the floor
• have the gall
• have the last word
• have the patience of a saint
• have (the) time
• have the time of one's life
• have the wind of
• have/throw/pitch a tantrum
• have to
• have to laugh
• have to say for oneself
• have trouble sleeping
• have what it takes
• have with
• hold/have promise
• I have been there
• I have got to say
• I have it
• I have no idea
• I have to admit
• I have to say
• I have to warn you
• I'll have you know
• let one have it
• let (someone) have it
• might/should have known
• must-have
• not have a care in the world
• not have a hair out of place
• not have a leg to stand on
• not have any use for
• not have a stitch on
• not have it in one
• not have the faintest idea/notion
• not have the faintest/slightest idea
• not have the foggiest
• not have to
• not have to be that way
• only have eyes for
• put/have little faith in
• someone's prayers have been answered
• some people/guys have all the luck
• the ayes have it
• the have-nots
• the haves and the have-nots
• there you have it
• walls have ears
• what have you
• what time do you have
• where have you been
• would have one believe
• you could have knocked me over with a feather
• you have no idea
• you have to admit
• you should have seen his face

Rhymes for have

• calve
• halve
• nav
• mohave

Kids Definition

have

1 of 2 verb

(ˈ)hav 

(h)əv,

v;

 in  ",

 have to  ",

 meaning  ",

 must  ",

 usually  ˈhaf

past & past participle had (ˈ)had 

(h)əd,

d

; present participle having ˈhav-iŋ  ; present 3rd singular has (ˈ)haz 

(h)əz,

z,

s;

 in  ",

 have to  ",

 meaning  ",

 must  ",

 usually  ˈhas

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

ˈhav 

: one that has much material wealth