gift

1 of 3

noun

ˈgift How to pronounce gift (audio)
Synonyms of giftnext
1
: a notable capacity, talent, or endowment
2
: something voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation
3
: the act, right, or power of giving

gift

2 of 3

verb

gifted; gifting; gifts

transitive verb

1
: to endow with some power, quality, or attribute
She's been gifted with a beautiful voice.
2
a
: to make a gift of
It makes an excellent choice whether you're gifting one bottle for the honeymoon or a case to be savored for years, or even decades, to come.—Robert Taylor
b
: present
gifted her with flowers
In this, her ninth novel, she has succeeded in gifting us with a story that will stay with us for a long time.—Dorothy Rochmis
giftee
ˌgif-ˈtē How to pronounce gift (audio)
noun

GIFT

3 of 3

abbreviation

gamete intrafallopian transfer; gamete intrafallopian tube transfer

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for gift

gift, faculty, aptitude, bent, talent, genius, knack mean a special ability for doing something.

gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

Examples of gift in a Sentence

Noun The money was a gift, not a loan. She considers her voice a God-given gift. Verb gifted with an uncanny ability to persuade people to do things they ordinarily wouldn't
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Whether shoppers are searching for practical gifts or looking to splurge a little, the year’s sales present a prime opportunity to shop and save. —Francisco Velasquez, Quartz, 13 Nov. 2024 Enacted by former President Donald Trump, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, or TCJA, brought sweeping changes for individuals, including lower tax brackets, higher standard deductions, a more generous child tax credit and a bigger estate and gift tax exemption, among others. —Kate Dore, Cfp®, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
John Doman, a Pioneer Press photographer for decades, was gifted in capturing the essence of a moment and displaying humanity in a photograph through his curiosity and compassion. —Natasha Delion, Twin Cities, 9 Nov. 2024 The Sharks will want to take away time and space from these players, forcing them to play in their end and not gifting them the puck in the neutral zone. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for gift 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old Norse, something given, talent; akin to Old English giefan to give

First Known Use

Noun

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1600, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gift was in the 12th century

Phrases Containing gift

Dictionary Entries Near gift

Gifola

gift

GIFT

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Gift.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gift. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

gift

noun
ˈgift
1
: a special ability : talent
2
: something given : present

Medical Definition

GIFT

abbreviation
gamete intrafallopian transfer; gamete intrafallopian tube transfer

Legal Definition

gift

noun
1
: an intentional and gratuitous transfer of real or personal property by a donor with legal capacity who actually or constructively delivers the property to the donee with the intent of giving up dominion over the property and investing it in the donee who accepts it
broadly : a voluntary transfer of property without compensation see also delivery compare donation, sale
— class gift
: a usually testamentary gift of a sum to a group of unspecified persons whose number and identity and share of the gift will be determined sometime in the future (as at the death of the donor)
— completed gift
: a gift in which the dominion and control of the property is placed beyond the donor's reach
— gift causa mortis \ -​ˈkȯ-​zə-​ˈmȯr-​tis, -​ˈkau̇-​sä-​ˈmȯr-​tēs \ plural gifts causa mortis
: a gift of especially personal property made in contemplation of impending death that is delivered with the intent that the gift take effect only in the event of the donor's death and that it be revoked in the event of survival compare donation inter vivos and donation mortis causa at donation, gift inter vivos and testamentary gift in this entry
— gift inter vivos \ -​ˈin-​tər-​ˈvī-​vōs; -​ˈin-​ter-​ˈvē-​vōs, -​ˈwē-​wōs \ plural gifts inter vivos
: a gift made during the lifetime of the donor and delivered with the intent of surrendering immediately and irrevocably dominion and control over the property compare donation inter vivos at donation, gift causa mortis and testamentary gift in this entry
— gift over plural gifts over
: a gift especially by will of property that takes effect upon the termination or failure of a preceding estate (as a life estate) in the property
— manual gift
: a gift especially under the civil law of Louisiana made of a movable corporeal object by actual delivery and involving no formalities
— split gift
: a gift made by a spouse to a third person that for purposes of gift tax may be considered as given one-half by each spouse to take advantage of tax avoidance devices (as the annual exclusion)
— substitutional gift \ ˌsəb-​stə-​ˈtü-​shə-​nəl-​, -​ˈtyü-​ \
: a gift to a legatee or devisee in substitution for another devisee or legatee who cannot take under the will (as because of death)

called also substitute gift

— testamentary gift
: a gift that does not become effective until the death of the donor
specifically : a gift made in a will compare gift causa mortis and gift inter vivos in this entry
2
: something voluntarily transferred without compensation
3
: a transfer of property for less than adequate consideration other than in the ordinary course of business
—used in the law of gift tax

Note: The amount by which the value of property so transferred exceeds the consideration paid is included in the total amount of taxable gifts made during a calendar year.

More from Merriam-Webster on gift

Nglish: Translation of gift for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of gift for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about gift

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