present
present
/ˈpreznt/
I am not satisfied with the present situation.
The present study has two main aims.
the present owner of the house
a list of all club members, past and present
We do not have any more information at the present time.
A few brief comments are sufficient for present purposes.
You can’t use it in its present condition.
Collocations
verbs
adverb
phrases
I wasn’t present when the doctor examined him.
The mistake was obvious to all those present.
present at something There were 200 people present at the meeting.
Most fathers wish to be present at the birth of their child.
Simply to be physically present was all that was required.
3 not before noun (of a thing or a substance) existing in a particular place or thing The threat of force was always present.
the ever present risk of pollution
present in something Levels of pollution present in the atmosphere are increasing.
Analysis showed that traces of arsenic were present in the body.
Idioms
present 2
/ˈpreznt/
1 a thing that you give to somebody as a gift
What can I get him for a birthday present?
Christmas/wedding presents
I want to give you a little present.
as a present He gave her the painting as a present.
present for somebody We have a present for you.
I still need to buy a present for my boyfriend.
present from somebody That dress was a present from my sister.
Collocations
adjective
verb + present
preposition
present for
present from
present to…
phrases
make somebody a present of something
2 (usually the present) singular the time now in the present You've got to forget the past and start living in the present.
at present I'm sorry he's out at present (= now).
to the present The book covers the period from the early 1990s to the present.
3 the present (also present tense) singular (grammar) the form of a verb that expresses an action that is happening now or at the time of speaking Idioms
present
/prɪˈzent/
something to be considered
1 to show or offer something for other people to look at or consider
present something Are you presenting a paper at the conference?
She presented some data on the 2016 presidential election.
The paper presents no evidence of a link.
The results presented here confirm our prediction.
Findings are presented in Table 9.
He presents a convincing case.
present something to somebody The committee will present its final report to Parliament in June.
present something for something Eight options were presented for consideration.
Collocations
adverb
verb + present
preposition
as
for
to…
give
2 to give something to somebody, especially formally at a ceremony
present something The local MP will start the race and present the prizes.
present somebody with something Last year she was presented with an award for lifetime achievement.
On his retirement, colleagues presented him with a set of golf clubs.
present something to somebody The sword was presented by the family to the museum.
something in particular way
3 to show or describe something/somebody in a particular way
present something The company has decided it must present a more modern image.
It is essential that we present a united front (= show that we all agree).
present yourself + adv./prep. You need to present yourself better.
present something/somebody/yourself as something He likes to present himself as a radical politician.
The press presents this as a kind of victory.
The article presents these proposals as misguided.
problem/opportunity
4 to cause something to happen or be experienced
present something The course presents an excellent learning opportunity.
Freezing temperatures can present problems.
Each year has presented slightly different challenges.
Use of these chemicals may present a fire risk.
Irradiation presents environmental dangers.
None of these parasites presents a threat to human health.
present somebody with something Your request shouldn't present us with any problems.
I was presented with the opportunity to play abroad.
itself
5 (of an opportunity, a solution, etc.) to suddenly happen or become available
present itself One major problem did present itself, though.
As soon as the opportunity presented itself, she would get another job.
present itself to somebody Thankfully, a solution presented itself to him surprisingly soon.
radio/TV programme
6 present something (British English) to appear in a radio or television programme and introduce the different items in it
She used to present a gardening programme on TV.
play/broadcast
7 present something to produce a show, play, broadcast, etc. for the public
Compass Theatre Company presents a new production of ‘King Lear’.
The string orchestra of the Music School of Lemgo will present a concert in the Guildhall.
introduce somebody
8 present somebody (to somebody) (formal) to introduce somebody formally, especially to somebody of higher rank or status
May I present my fiancé to you?
yourself
9 present yourself at, for, in, etc. (formal) to officially appear somewhere
You will be asked to present yourself for interview.
She was ordered to present herself in court on 20 May.
express something
10 present something (to somebody) (formal) to offer or express something in speech or writing
Please allow me to present my apologies.
cheque/bill
11 present something to give somebody a cheque or bill that they should pay
A cheque presented by Mr Jackson was returned by the bank.
The builders presented a bill for several hundred pounds.
medical
present with something The patient presented with a chest complaint.
present as something This illness rarely presents as a chest wall tumour in young patients.
present something All these patients presented a chief complaint of frequent headaches.
Idioms
Word Origin
adjective Middle English: via Old French from Latin praesent- ‘being at hand’, present participle of praeesse, from prae ‘before’ + esse ‘be’.
noun sense 1 Middle English: from Old French, originally in the phrase mettre une chose en present à quelqu'un ‘put a thing into the presence of a person’. noun senses 2 to 3 Middle English: via Old French from Latin praesent- ‘being at hand’, present participle of praeesse, from prae ‘before’ + esse ‘be’.
verb Middle English: from Old French presenter, from Latin praesentare ‘place before’ (in medieval Latin ‘present as a gift’), from praesent- ‘being at hand’, present participle of praeesse, from prae ‘before’ + esse ‘be’.