take for granted

idiomatic phrase

1
: to assume (something) as true, real, unquestionable, or to be expected
We took our invitation to the party for granted. = We took it for granted that we'd be invited to the party. [=we assumed we'd be invited and did not think about the possibility that we wouldn't be]
What I will call the "old" middle class rose to prominence in the Forties, Fifties, and Sixties, when economic growth was taken for granted and opportunity was abundant.Alan Wolfe
2
: to value (something or someone) too lightly : to fail to properly notice or appreciate (someone or something that should be valued)
We often take our freedom for granted.
I'm tired of being taken for granted.

Examples of take for granted in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The ability to walk effortlessly and comfortably is easy to take for granted, but individuals who have experienced the common foot condition known as plantar fasciitis appreciate just how nice pain-free walking can be. Daryl Austin, USA TODAY, 15 May 2023 Instead, they were encouraged to open up with questions like: What’s one thing about you that people take for granted? Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 4 May 2023 After he was sworn into office at the state armory in Hartford, Lamont, who turned 69 on Tuesday, urged the crowd to never take for granted that there has always been a smooth transition of power in Connecticut. Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 4 Jan. 2023 The report suggested that as the I.R.S. tried to work its way through Mr. Trump’s maze of tax returns, revenue agents appeared to take for granted that the assertions made by Mr. Trump’s accounting firm were true. Alan Rappeport, New York Times, 22 Dec. 2022 For example, many departments and agencies were instrumental in developing and launching the internet, which many people might take for granted today. Neal Lane, The Conversation, 6 Oct. 2022 Allergy, like the rest of the immune system, is a hot, complicated mess—a common fixture of modern living that many of us take for granted, but that remains, in so many cases, a mystery. Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 5 Oct. 2022 Yet, there is one number most of us take for granted or don’t even consider. Joseph Coughlin, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023 This is not something to take for granted in the Republican Party. Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 18 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'take for granted.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1588, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of take for granted was in 1588

Dictionary Entries Near take for granted

Cite this Entry

“Take for granted.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/take%20for%20granted. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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