Home / Dictionary / Gift

Gift Very Common

Gift has 8 different meanings across 2 categories:

Noun · Verb

Definitions
Noun
1

something acquired without compensation

"He was surprised to receive a rare book as a gift from his grandmother, knowing she had spent hours hunting it down for him."

2

natural abilities or qualities

"Sarah's ability to solve complex math problems so quickly is a rare gift that she was born with."

3

the act of giving

"The gift of his time to help neighbors is something he truly values."

4

Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.

"The doctor explained that her IVF treatment involved a GIFT procedure, which stands for Gift and requires both partners to provide their eggs and sperm simultaneously."

5

Initialism of Gamete intrafallopian transfer.

In plain English: A gift is something you receive from someone else, usually for free and without having to pay for it.

"She received a beautiful scarf as a gift from her grandmother."

Usage: When referring to the initialism Gamete intrafallopian transfer, always capitalize it as GIFT and use it strictly in medical contexts regarding fertility treatments. In everyday conversation, however, reserve this term for a present given voluntarily without payment, never using it to describe surgical procedures unless speaking with medical professionals.

Verb
1

give qualities or abilities to

"The coach claimed his intense training regimen gifted the team a resilience they hadn't possessed before."

2

give as a present; make a gift of

"What will you give her for her birthday?"

3

To give as a gift or donation.

"She decided to gift her old textbooks to the local library so they could help new students get started."

In plain English: To give something to someone without expecting anything in return.

"She gifted her brother a new bicycle for his birthday."

Usage: Use "gift" as a verb only in formal writing to mean giving something as a present or donation. In casual conversation, stick with "give" to avoid confusion, as the past tense of "gift" is often mistaken for "gave."

Example Sentences
"She received a beautiful scarf as a gift from her grandmother." noun
"My friend gave me a beautiful gift for my birthday." noun
"The store offers a free gift with every purchase over fifty dollars." noun
"She opened her Christmas gift and found a new book inside." noun
"She gifted her brother a new bicycle for his birthday." verb
Related Terms
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
acquisition natural ability sharing enable
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
bequest devise free lunch dowry bride price largess aid prize present contribution enrichment lagniappe bestowal freebie giveaway gift horse bent flair raw talent oblation accordance endowment charity alms-giving cover regift endow distribute give away raffle tip bequeath surrender grant treat donate tender render

Origin

The word "gift" comes from Middle English, which drew on both Old English and Old Norse roots meaning "giving," "dowry," or "wedding." These languages all trace the term back to a Proto-Germanic ancestor that simply meant "gift."

Rhyming Words
ift tift nift sift lift zift rift smift drift shift grift swift clift skift snift relift thrift shrift uplift engift
Compare
Gift vs