have

1 of 2

verb

ˈhav How to pronounce have (audio)
(h)əv,
v;
 in "have to" meaning "must" usually  ˈhaf
had ˈhad How to pronounce have (audio)
(h)əd,
d
; having ˈha-viŋ How to pronounce have (audio) ; has ˈhaz How to pronounce have (audio)
(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

: 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 peopleAlice M. Jordan
2
: to have a specified relationship with or effect on
the size of the brain has nothing to do with intelligenceRuth Benedict

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
That one tasted bitter, while another had too many holes. Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 The 51-year-old faces charges of having an assault weapon, stealing a firearm, making a non-serialized firearm and having a firearm with an altered serial number. Ishani Desai, Sacramento Bee, 8 Mar. 2024 That likely means no jokes about former President Donald Trump, though Kimmel has had a lot to say about the presumptive Republican presidential nominee on his late-night show in the past. Elizabeth Wagmeister, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024 Edwards’ attorney has yet to respond to an email and voicemail from The Enquirer. Quinlan Bentley, The Enquirer, 8 Mar. 2024 The Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley have a littler higher odds of cloudy weather. Karl Schneider, The Indianapolis Star, 8 Mar. 2024 Bosses wanting to get their staff back to their office desks have a clear ally: promotion-hungry millennials and incoming Gen Zers wanting to learn the ropes. Byeleanor Pringle, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024 Because people are going to have access to hear all of this brilliance and all of this insight. Jaden Thompson, Variety, 8 Mar. 2024 The spinoff is said to have a significantly bigger budget, with ambitions to reach an audience beyond the Philippines. Patrick Brzeski, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Mar. 2024
Noun
There’s already a gulf opening in society between the technological haves and have-nots. Bernard Marr, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 To reduce the value of her husband’s mother to one determined by haves and haves not, dollars and cents and nothing else? Kwame Anthony Appiah, New York Times, 14 Feb. 2024 The housing market story is one of winners and losers, of haves and have-nots. Alena Botros, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023 The division between the technological haves and have-nots will only continue to grow. Naomi Alderman, WIRED, 14 Jan. 2024 Homeowners, first-time homebuyers, and renters But the mortgage market has also split into haves and have-nots, in Bachman’s words—and longtime homeowners are coming out on top. Alena Botros, Fortune, 28 Dec. 2023 In your example, though, got is misused as a present-tense verb and should be replaced by have. Richard Lederer, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Nov. 2023 Tome’s announcement marks the latest high-dollar biotech financing in what has become a market of haves and have-nots in the startup world. Damian Garde, STAT, 12 Dec. 2023 But boycotts against the rom-com have, so far, been unsuccessful. Haley Strack, National Review, 26 Nov. 2023

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

Dictionary Entries Near have

Cite this Entry

“Have.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/have. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

have

1 of 2 verb
(ˈ)hav How to pronounce have (audio)
(h)əv,
v;
 in  ",
 have to  ",
 meaning  ",
 must  ",
 usually  ˈhaf
past & past participle had (ˈ)had How to pronounce have (audio)
(h)əd,
d
; present participle having ˈhav-iŋ How to pronounce have (audio) ; present 3rd singular has (ˈ)haz How to pronounce have (audio)
(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
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

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