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From Middle English present, from Old French present, from Latin praesent-, praesens, present participle of praeesse (“to be present”), from Latin prae- (“pre-”) + esse (“to be”).

present (comparative more present, superlative most present)

  1. Relating to now, for the time being; current.
    The present manager has been here longer than the last one.
    up to the present day
  2. Located in the immediate vicinity.
    Only half of all present members were present at the meeting.
    Is there a doctor present?
    Several people were present when the event took place.
    Being the leader, Jason is always present at class.
  3. (obsolete) Having an immediate effect (of a medicine, poison etc.); fast-acting. [16th–18th c.]
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], “Alteratiues and Corials, corroborating, reſoluing the reliques, and mending the Temperament”, in The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 5, member 1, subsection 5:
      Amongſt this number of Cordials and Alteratiues, J doe not find a more preſent remedy, then a cup of wine, or ſtrong drinke, and if it be ſoberly and opportunely vſed.
  4. (obsolete) Not delayed; immediate; instant.
  5. (dated) Ready; quick in emergency.
    a present wit
  6. (obsolete) Favorably attentive; propitious.
  7. Relating to something a person is referring to in the very context, with a deictic use similar to the demonstrative adjective this.
    Near-synonyms: this (determiner), this (pronoun), current
  8. Attentive; alert; focused.
    Sorry, I was distracted just now, I'll try to be more present from now on.
  9. (politics) Neither for or against (used in voting to express abstention)

pertaining to the current time

present (plural presents)

  1. The current moment or period of time.
  2. (grammar) The present tense.

current time

From Middle English presenten, from Old French presenter, from Latin praesentāre (“to show”), from praesent-, praesens, present participle of praeesse (“be in front of”).

present (plural presents)

  1. A gift, especially one given for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries, graduations, weddings, or any other special occasions.
    wedding present; birthday present
    Oh! Thank you for the presents! How considerate of you!
    Only his friends attended his birthday party. They're all broke, so he got no present.
    • 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter VII, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
      “A very welcome, kind, useful present, that means to the parish. By the way, Hopkins, let this go no further. We don't want the tale running round that a rich person has arrived. Churchill, my dear fellow, we have such greedy sharks, and wolves in lamb's clothing. […]”
  2. (military) The position of a soldier in presenting arms.
    The platoon stands at present.
    He was at present near the headquarters gates.
  3. (colloquial, euphemistic, endearing) poo; feces
    I think our toddler's just left us a little present in his diaper...
    She has to deal with her cats' presents in the litterboxes on a daily basis, and she doesn't mind one bit.

present (third-person singular simple present presents, present participle presenting, simple past and past participle presented)

  1. To bring (someone) into the presence of (a person); to introduce formally. [from 14th c.]
    to present an envoy to the king
  2. (intransitive) To appear or represent oneself outwardly.
    With your shabby attire, you do not present well as a prospective investment banking associate!
  3. (transitive) To nominate (a member of the clergy) for an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution. [from 14th c.]
  4. (transitive) To offer (a problem, complaint) to a court or other authority for consideration. [from 14th c.]
  5. (transitive, now rare) To charge (a person) with a crime or accusation; to bring before court. [from 14th c.]
    • 1971, Sir Keith Vivian Thomas, “3. The Impact of the Reformation”, in Religion and the Decline of Magic: Studies in popular beliefs in sixteenth and seventeenth century England‎[1], 1st edition, London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; Orion Publishing Group, Limited; Folio Society, published 1971, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, →OL, pages 74–75:
      In the diocese of Gloucester in 1548 two inhabitants of Slimbridge were presented for saying that holy oil was ‘of no virtue but meet to grease sheep’.
  6. (reflexive) To come forward, appear in a particular place or before a particular person, especially formally. [from 14th c.]
  7. (transitive) To put (something) forward in order for it to be seen; to show, exhibit. [from 14th c.]
    • 2020, NFL rule 7 section 4 article 7[2]:
      Note: The offensive team must present a legal formation both before and after a shift.
  8. (transitive) To make clear to one's mind or intelligence; to put forward for consideration. [from 14th c.]
    • 1927, Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle, “II. The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier”, in The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes‎[3], published 1927, →OCLC, page 49:
      I do begin to realize that the matter must be presented in such a way as may interest the reader.
    • 2012 January, Steven Sloman, “The Battle Between Intuition and Deliberation”, in American Scientist‎[4], volume 100, number 1, archived from the original on 8 January 2012, page 74:
      Libertarian paternalism is the view that, because the way options are presented to citizens affects what they choose, society should present options in a way that “nudges” our intuitive selves to make choices that are more consistent with what our more deliberative selves would have chosen if they were in control.
  9. (transitive) To put on, stage (a play etc.). [from 16th c.]
    The theater is proud to present the Fearless Fliers.
  10. (transitive, military) To point (a firearm) at something, to hold (a weapon) in a position ready to fire. [from 16th c.]
  11. (reflexive) To offer oneself for mental consideration; to occur to the mind. [from 16th c.]
    Well, one idea does present itself.
  12. (intransitive, medicine) To come to the attention of medical staff, especially with a specific symptom. [from 19th c.]
    The patient presented with insomnia.
    Symptoms typically present in early childhood.
  13. (intransitive, medicine) To appear (in a specific way) for delivery (of a fetus); to appear first at the mouth of the uterus during childbirth. [from 18th c.]
  14. (intransitive, with "as") To appear or represent oneself (as having a certain gender).
    At that time, Elbe was presenting as a man.
  1. (transitive) To act as presenter on (a radio, television programme etc.). [from 20th c.]
  2. (transitive) To give a gift or presentation to (someone). [from 14th c.]
    Synonyms: compliment, bestow
    She was presented with an honorary degree for her services to entertainment.
  1. (transitive) To deliver (something abstract) as though as a gift; to offer. [from 14th c.]
    I presented my compliments to Lady Featherstoneshaw.
  2. (transitive) To hand over (a bill etc.) to be paid. [from 15th c.]
  3. (intransitive, zoology) To display one's female genitalia in a way that signals to others that one is ready for copulation. Also referred to as lordosis behaviour. [from 20th c.]
  4. (fandom slang) In omegaverse fiction, to have one's secondary sex (alpha, omega, or beta) become apparent, typically at puberty. [from 21st c.]

to bring (someone) into the presence of (a person); to introduce formally

to nominate (a member of the clergy) for an ecclesiastical benefice; to offer to the bishop or ordinary as a candidate for institution

(reflexive) to come forward, appear in a particular place or before a particular person, especially formally

to put (something) forward in order for it to be seen; to show, exhibit

to make clear to one's mind or intelligence; to put forward for consideration

to put on, stage (a play etc.)

military: to point (a firearm) at something, to hold (a weapon) in a position ready to fire

(reflexive) to offer oneself for mental consideration; to occur to the mind

medicine: to come to the attention of medical staff, especially with a specific symptom

medicine: to appear (in a specific way) for delivery (of a fetus); to appear first at the mouth of the uterus during childbirth

(with "as") to appear or represent oneself (as having a certain gender)

to act as presenter on (a radio, television programme etc.)

to give a gift or presentation to (someone)

to give (a gift or presentation) to someone; to bestow

to deliver (something abstract) as though as a gift; to offer

zoology: to display one's female genitalia in a way that signals to others that one is ready for copulation (also referred to as lordosis behaviour)

From presend + -t.

present

  1. simple past and past participle of presend

Borrowed from Latin praesentem. First attested in the 13th century.[1]

present m (plural presents)

  1. present (current moment or period of time)
  2. (grammar) present (grammatical tense)

present m or f (masculine and feminine plural presents)

  1. present (at a given location)
  1. ^ “present”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2026

From English present or clipping of English presentation.

present

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) to present; to give a lecture or speech to an audience

present

  1. (Hong Kong Cantonese) presentation (lecture or speech)

From French présent, from présenter (“to present”).

present c (singular definite presenten, plural indefinite presenter)

  1. (dated) present, gift
    Synonym: gave

Inherited from Middle Dutch present, from Middle French present.

present (comparative presenter, superlative presentst)

  1. present (not absent)
    Synonym: aanwezig
    Antonyms: absent, afwezig
Declension of present
uninflected present
inflected presente
comparative presenter
positive comparative superlative
predicative/adverbial present presenter het presentsthet presentste
indefinite m./f. sing. presente presentere presentste
n. sing. present presenter presentste
plural presente presentere presentste
definite presente presentere presentste
partitive presents presenters —

present n (plural presenten, diminutive presentje n)

  1. present, gift

present m (feminine singular presenta, masculine plural presenc, feminine plural presentes)

  1. present

present m (plural presens)

  1. gift; present
    • 1417, La disputation de l'Asne contre frere Anselme Turmeda [7]
      Un iour qu'il alloit par ladite cité & passant p[ar] la rue de la mer, veit une guenon dedans un panier & l'acheta pour en faire un present audit conte d'Armignac son parent, pource que en France i'a pas beaucoup de telz animaux.
      One day as he was walking through said city and passing through la Rue de Mer, he saw an Old World monkey in a basket and bought it to give it as a present to the Count of Armignac, his father, because there are not many animals like this one in France.
  2. (grammar) present (tense)

present oblique singular, m (oblique plural presenz or presentz, nominative singular presenz or presentz, nominative plural **present)

  1. gift; present
    • c. 1170, Wace, Le Roman de Rou:
      Itant out li Quens un present
      D'une cupe chiere d'argent
      At this moment he presented the Count
      With a valuable silver cup
  2. (grammar) present (tense)

present c

  1. gift, present