present meaning and definition

PRESENT noun

Definition of present (noun)

1. the period of time that is happening now; any continuous stretch of time including the moment of speech
   • "that is enough for the present"; "he lives in the present with no thought of tomorrow"
   • synonyms: nowadays
2. something presented as a gift
   • "his tie was a present from his wife"
3. a verb tense that expresses actions or states at the time of speaking
   • synonyms: present tense

PRESENT verb

Definition of present (verb)

1. give an exhibition of to an interested audience
   • "She shows her dogs frequently"; "We will demo the new software in Washington"
   • synonyms: demo, demonstrate, exhibit, show
2. bring forward and present to the mind
   • "We presented the arguments to him"; "We cannot represent this knowledge to our formal reason"
   • synonyms: lay out, represent
3. perform (a play), especially on a stage
   • "we are going to stage `Othello'"
   • synonyms: represent, stage
4. hand over formally
   • synonyms: submit
5. introduce
   • "This poses an interesting question"
   • synonyms: pose
6. give, especially as an honor or reward
   • "bestow honors and prizes at graduation"
   • synonyms: award
7. give as a present; make a gift of
   • "What will you give her for her birthday?"
   • synonyms: gift, give
8. deliver (a speech, oration, or idea)
   • "The commencement speaker presented a forceful speech that impressed the students"
   • synonyms: deliver
9. cause to come to know personally
   • "permit me to acquaint you with my son"; "introduce the new neighbors to the community"
   • synonyms: acquaint, introduce
10. represent abstractly, for example in a painting, drawing, or sculpture
    • "The father is portrayed as a good-looking man in this painting"
    • synonyms: portray
11. present somebody with something, usually to accuse or criticize
    • "We confronted him with the evidence"; "He was faced with all the evidence and could no longer deny his actions"; "An enormous dilemma faces us"
    • synonyms: confront, face
12. formally present a debutante, a representative of a country, etc.
13. recognize with a gesture prescribed by a military regulation; assume a prescribed position
    • "When the officers show up, the soldiers have to salute"
    • synonyms: salute

PRESENT adjective

Definition of present (adjective)

1. temporal sense; intermediate between past and future; now existing or happening or in consideration
   • "the present leader"; "articles for present use"; "the present topic"; "the present system"; "present observations"
   • antonym: future
2. being or existing in a specified place
   • "the murderer is present in this room"; "present at the wedding"; "present at the creation"
   • antonym: absent