Presents

Part of speech: noun, verb

Pronunciation: /ˈpɹɛzənts/

Definitions

1. Things given voluntarily to others as a token of affection or celebration ; the existing time in which events occur ; to formally introduce or display something for others to see
2. Items offered to someone as an expression of goodwill or celebration ; the moment now happening or taking place ; to bring forward or display something for consideration by others
3. Objects given as signs of appreciation or festivity ; the ongoing or present period experienced ; to make something known or visible to an audience

Etymology: "Presents" is the plural of "present" in its sense of a gift. The noun "present" (something given) and the adjective "present" (here, now) are the same word, and the two senses are connected through a notion of being in front of someone. Latin "praesens" meant "being in front of," literally "being before," and gave rise to both the sense of physical presence and, later, the idea of a current time. The verb "present," meaning to hand something over formally or show it, comes from Latin "praesentare," "to show," and was borrowed through Old French. The gift sense developed as a natural extension of that idea: to present something is to place it before another person. Over time, a gift became the thing set in front of you, and the plural "presents" came to mean a collection of such items. The Middle English "presend" is the older source of the verb's modern form, and the word was used in English for centuries before it settled into its current meanings.

Synonyms: gifts, offerings, donations, contributions, submissions

Antonyms: withdrawals, removals, exclusions, rejections, denials