present perfect

adjective

: of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is traditionally formed in English with have and a past participle and that expresses an action or state begun in the past and completed at the time of speaking (as in "I have finished") or continuing in the present (as in "We have lived here for several years")
present perfect noun

Word History

First Known Use

1887, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of present perfect was in 1887

Dictionary Entries Near present perfect

Cite this Entry

“Present perfect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/present%20perfect. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

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