have
Looking for the meaning of have? Explore definitions, parts of speech, and usage examples below.
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A wealthy or privileged person.
One who has some (contextually specified) thing.
To possess, own.
“I have a house and a car.”
To hold, as something at someone's disposal.
“Do you have the key? (not necessarily one's own key)”
Used to state the existence or presence of someone in a specified relationship with the subject.
“I have a really mean boss.”
To partake of (a particular substance, especially food or drink, or action or activity).
“Can I have a look at that?”
To be scheduled to attend, undertake or participate in.
“Fred won't be able to come to the party; he has a meeting that day.”
To experience, go through, undergo.
“He had surgery on his hip yesterday.”
To be afflicted with, suffer from.
“He had a cold last week.”
(auxiliary verb, taking a past participle) Used in forming the perfect aspect.
“I had already eaten.”
Used as an interrogative verb before a pronoun to form a tag question, echoing a previous use of 'have' as an auxiliary verb or, in certain cases, main verb. (For further discussion, see the appendix English tag questions.)
“They haven't eaten dinner yet, have they?”
(auxiliary verb, taking a to-infinitive) See have to.
“I have to go.”
To give birth to.
“My mother had me when she was 25.”
To engage in sexual intercourse with.
“He's always bragging about how many women he's had.”
To accept as a romantic partner.
“Despite my protestations of love, she would not have me.”
(transitive with bare infinitive) To cause to, by a command, request or invitation.
“They had me feed their dog while they were out of town.”
(transitive with adjective or adjective-phrase complement) To cause to be.
“He had him arrested for trespassing.”
(transitive with bare infinitive) To be affected by an occurrence. (Used in supplying a topic that is not a verb argument.)
“I've had three people today tell me my hair looks nice.”
(transitive with adjective or adjective-phrase complement) To depict as being.
“Their stories differed; he said he'd been at work when the incident occurred, but her statement had him at home that entire evening.”
To defeat in a fight; take.
“I could have him!”
(obsolete outside Ireland) To be able to speak (a language).
“I have no German.”
To feel or be (especially painfully) aware of.
“Dan certainly has arms today, probably from scraping paint off four columns the day before.”
To trick, to deceive.
“You had me alright! I never would have thought that was just a joke.”
(often with present participle) To allow; to tolerate.
“I asked my dad if I could go to the concert this Thursday, but he wouldn't have it since it's a school night.”
(often used in the negative) To believe, buy, be taken in by.
“I made up an excuse as to why I was out so late, but my wife wasn't having any of it.”
To host someone; to take in as a guest.
“Thank you for having me!”
To get a reading, measurement, or result from an instrument or calculation.
“I have two contacts on my scope.”
(of a jury) To consider a court proceeding that has been completed; to begin deliberations on a case.
“We'll schedule closing arguments for Thursday, and the jury will have the case by that afternoon.”
To make an observation of (a bird species).
Understanding "have"
The word **"have"** is a **noun** in the English language. It is phonetically pronounced as **N/A**. Explore the detailed meaning, morphological structure, and usage examples for **"have"** in our dictionary below.
The English language is incredibly vast, and diving into the definition of the word "have" provides a perfect example of its linguistic depth. Categorized primarily as a noun, the term "have" holds specific syntactical roles within a sentence, allowing speakers and writers to convey precise meaning. Understanding how this word functions is an excellent step towards mastering advanced English vocabulary and improving overall reading comprehension.
For those looking to perfect their spoken English, noting the phonetic pronunciation of "have" is crucial. It is typically transcribed as a standard English phoneme pattern. Proper enunciation ensures that your intended message is received clearly, preventing miscommunication in both formal and casual settings. Linguistic scholars often track the phonological evolution of words like "have" to understand broader historical shifts in dialects and accents across different English-speaking populations.
When deciding how to use "have" in everyday communication, it helps to look at exactly how it operates as a noun. In professional writing, academic essays, and creative literature, choosing the perfect vocabulary word can drastically elevate the tone of the text. Because "have" carries its own unique connotations and denotations, swapping it for a simpler synonym might dilute the impact of your sentence.
Our comprehensive dictionary tool is designed to provide immediate, reliable definitions for thousands of terms, including "have". By consistently exploring the nuances of vocabulary—including phonetics (N/A), part of speech (noun), and usage examples—you can significantly expand your linguistic repertoire. Bookmark this page as a quick reference tool whenever you encounter "have" in reading materials or wish to incorporate it into your active vocabulary.
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How do I use have in a sentence?
Refer to the usage examples above to see how "have" can be used in academic and casual conversations.