is

[ iz ]

/ ɪz /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR is ON THESAURUS.COM

verb

3rd person singular present indicative of be.

QUIZZES

Can You Ace This Quiz About “Compliment” vs. “Complement”?

Take this quiz to see if you really know the difference between “compliment” and “complement"!

Question 1 of 11

“Compliment” and “complement” had a shared meaning a long time ago, but today they are no longer interchangeable.

True

False

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Idioms for is

as is. as¹(def 23).

Origin of is

before 900; Middle English, Old English; cognate with Dutch is, Old Norse es, er, German, Gothic ist, Latin est, Greek estí, OCS jestĭ, Sanskrit asti

Words nearby is

irvingite, irvington, irw, irwin, iráklion, is, is my face red!, is that a fact?, is-, is., isa

Definition for is (2 of 8)

Islamic State. See ISIS.

Definition for is (3 of 8)

I, i

[ ahy ]

/ aɪ /

noun, plural I's or Is, i's or is.

the ninth letter of the English alphabet, a vowel.

any spoken sound represented by the letter I or i, as in big, nice, or ski.

something having the shape of an I.

a written or printed representation of the letter I or i.

a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter I ori.

Definition for is (4 of 8)

[ bee; unstressed bee, bi ]

/ bi; unstressed bi, bɪ /

verb (used without object), present singular 1st person am, 2nd are or (Archaic) art, 3rd is, present plural are; past singular 1st person was, 2nd were or (Archaic) wast or wert, 3rd was, past plural were; present subjunctive be; past subjunctive singular 1st person were, 2nd were or (Archaic) wert, 3rd were; past subjunctive plural were; past participle been; present participle be·ing.

to exist or live: Shakespeare's “To be or not to be” is the ultimate question.

to take place; happen; occur: The wedding was last week.

to occupy a place or position: The book is on the table.

to continue or remain as before: Let things be.

to belong; attend; befall: May good fortune be with you.

(used as a copula to connect the subject with its predicate adjective, or predicate nominative, in order to describe, identify, or amplify the subject): Martha is tall. John is president. This is she.

(used as a copula to introduce or form interrogative or imperative sentences): Is that right? Be quiet! Don't be facetious.

auxiliary verb, present singular 1st person am, 2nd are or (Archaic) art, 3rd is, present plural are; past singular 1st person was, 2nd were or (Archaic) wast or wert, 3rd was, past plural were; present subjunctive be; past subjunctive singular 1st person were, 2nd were or (Archaic) wert, 3rd were; past subjunctive plural were; past participle been; present participle be·ing.

(used with the present participle of another verb to form the progressive tense): I am waiting.

(used with the present participle or infinitive of the principal verb to indicate future action): She is visiting there next week. He is to see me today.

(used with the past participle of another verb to form the passive voice): The date was fixed. It must be done.

(used in archaic or literary constructions with some intransitive verbs to form the perfect tense): He is come. Agamemnon to the wars is gone.

Origin of be

before 900; Middle English been, Old English bēon (bēo- (akin to Old Frisian, Old High German bim, German bin, Old Saxon bium, biom (I) am, Old English, Old High German, Old Saxon būan, Old Norse būa reside, Latin fuī (I) have been, Greek phy- grow, become, Old Irish boí (he) was, Sanskrit bhávati (he) becomes, is, Lithuanian búti to be, OCS byti, Persian būd was)) + -n infinitive suffix. See am, is, are¹, was, were

usage note for be

See me.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH be

be bee

Definition for is (5 of 8)

[ ahy ]

/ aɪ /

pronoun, nominative I, possessive my or mine, objective me; plural nominative we, possessive our or ours, objective us.

the nominative singular pronoun, used by a speaker in referring to himself or herself.

noun, plural I's.

(used to denote the narrator of a literary work written in the first person singular).

Metaphysics. the ego.

Origin of I

before 900; Middle English ik, ich, i; Old English ic, ih; cognate with German ich, Old Norse ek, Latin ego, Greek egṓ, OCS azŭ, Lithuanian aš, Sanskrit ahám

usage note for I

See me.

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH I

aye eye I

Definition for is (6 of 8)

is-

variant of iso- before a vowel: isallobar.

Definition for is (7 of 8)

is.

island.

isle.

Definition for is (8 of 8)

Is.

Isaiah.

island.

isle.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for is (1 of 14)

is¹

/ (ɪz) /

verb

(used with he, she, it, and with singular nouns) a form of the present tense (indicative mood) of be 1

Word Origin for is

Old English; compare Old Norse es, German ist, Latin est, Greek esti

British Dictionary definitions for is (2 of 14)

is²

the internet domain name for

Iceland

British Dictionary definitions for is (3 of 14)

abbreviation for

Iceland (international car registration)

Word Origin for IS

Icelandic ĺsland

British Dictionary definitions for is (4 of 14)

the chemical symbol for

beryllium

British Dictionary definitions for is (5 of 14)

abbreviation for

bill of exchange

(in the US) Board of Education

Bachelor of Education

Bachelor of Engineering

British Dictionary definitions for is (6 of 14)

Bé

abbreviation for

Baumé

British Dictionary definitions for is (7 of 14)

I

/ (aɪ) /

noun plural i's, I's or Is

the ninth letter and third vowel of the modern English alphabet

any of several speech sounds represented by this letter, in English as in bite or hit

something shaped like an I
(in combination)an I-beam

dot the i's and cross the t's to pay meticulous attention to detail

British Dictionary definitions for is (8 of 14)

symbol for

the imaginary number √–1Also called: j

British Dictionary definitions for is (9 of 14)

is-

combining form

variant of iso- isentropic

British Dictionary definitions for is (10 of 14)

Is.

abbreviation for

Also: Isa Bible Isaiah

Island(s) or Isle(s)

British Dictionary definitions for is (11 of 14)

be¹

/ (biː, unstressed bɪ) /

verb present singular 1st person am; 2nd person are; 3rd person is; present plural are; past singular 1st person was; 2nd person were; 3rd person was; past plural were; present participle being or past participle been (intr)

to have presence in the realm of perceived reality; exist; liveI think, therefore I am; not all that is can be understood

(used in the perfect or past perfect tenses only) to pay a visit; gohave you been to Spain?

to take place; occurmy birthday was last Thursday

(copula) used as a linking verb between the subject of a sentence and its noun or adjective complement or complementing phrase. In this case be expresses the relationship of either essential or incidental equivalence or identity (John is a man; John is a musician) or specifies an essential or incidental attribute (honey is sweet; Susan is angry). It is also used with an adverbial complement to indicate a relationship of location in space or time (Bill is at the office; the dance is on Saturday)

(takes a present participle) forms the progressive present tensethe man is running

(takes a past participle) forms the passive voice of all transitive verbs and (archaically) certain intransitive onesa good film is being shown on television tonight; I am done

(takes an infinitive) expresses intention, expectation, supposition, or obligationthe president is to arrive at 9.30; you are not to leave before I say so

(takes a past participle) forms the perfect or past perfect tense of certain intransitive verbs of motion, such as go or comethe last train is gone

be that as it may the facts concerning (something) are of no importance

Word Origin for be

Old English bēon; related to Old High German bim am, Latin fui I have been, Greek phuein to bring forth, Sanskrit bhavati he is

British Dictionary definitions for is (12 of 14)

be²

the internet domain name for

Belgium

British Dictionary definitions for is (13 of 14)

I¹

/ (aɪ) /

pronoun

(subjective) refers to the speaker or writer

Word Origin for I

C12: reduced form of Old English ic; compare Old Saxon ik, Old High German ih, Sanskrit ahám

British Dictionary definitions for is (14 of 14)

I²

symbol for

chem iodine

physics current

physics isospin

logic a particular affirmative categorial statement, such as some men are married, often symbolized as SiPCompare A, E, O 1

(Roman numeral) oneSee Roman numerals

abbreviation for

Italy (international car registration)

Word Origin for I

(for sense 4) from Latin (aff) i (rmo) I affirm

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Medical definitions for is (1 of 3)

The symbol for the elementiodine

i The symbol forcurrent

Medical definitions for is (2 of 3)

is-

pref.

Variant ofiso-

Medical definitions for is (3 of 3)

The symbol for the elementberyllium

Scientific definitions for is (1 of 3)

[ ī ]

The number whose square is equal to -1. Numbers expressed in terms of i are called imaginary or complex numbers.

Scientific definitions for is (2 of 3)

The symbol for electric current.

The symbol for iodine.

Scientific definitions for is (3 of 3)

The symbol for beryllium.

Idioms and Phrases with is (1 of 2)

In addition to the idioms beginning with be

be a credit to
be along
be big on
be bound to
be busted
bed and board
bed and breakfast
bed of roses
be down
bee in one's bonnet
been around
been had
been there, done that
been to the wars
beginning of the end, the
begin to see daylight
begin to see the light
begin with
beg off
beg the question
beg to differ
be had
be in on
be into
bell the cat, who will
be my guest
bend one's elbow
bend over backwards
bend someone's ear
be off
be on
be oneself
be on to
beside oneself
beside the point
be that as it may
be the death of
be the end of one
be the making of

also see:

let be

Idioms and Phrases with is (2 of 2)

see dot the i's and cross the t's.

is

verb

QUIZZES

Idioms for is

Origin of is

Words nearby is

Definition for is (2 of 8)

Definition for is (3 of 8)

noun, plural I's or Is, i's or is.

Definition for is (4 of 8)

Origin of be

usage note for be

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH be

Definition for is (5 of 8)

pronoun, nominative I, possessive my or mine, objective me; plural nominative we, possessive our or ours, objective us.

noun, plural I's.

Origin of I

usage note for I

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH I

Definition for is (6 of 8)

Definition for is (7 of 8)

Definition for is (8 of 8)

Words related to is

British Dictionary definitions for is (1 of 14)

verb

Word Origin for is

British Dictionary definitions for is (2 of 14)

the internet domain name for

British Dictionary definitions for is (3 of 14)

abbreviation for

Word Origin for IS

British Dictionary definitions for is (4 of 14)

the chemical symbol for

British Dictionary definitions for is (5 of 14)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for is (6 of 14)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for is (7 of 14)

I

noun plural i's, I's or Is

British Dictionary definitions for is (8 of 14)

symbol for

British Dictionary definitions for is (9 of 14)

combining form

British Dictionary definitions for is (10 of 14)

abbreviation for

British Dictionary definitions for is (11 of 14)

verb present singular 1st person am; 2nd person are; 3rd person is; present plural are; past singular 1st person was; 2nd person were; 3rd person was; past plural were; present participle being or past participle been (intr)

Word Origin for be

British Dictionary definitions for is (12 of 14)

the internet domain name for

British Dictionary definitions for is (13 of 14)

pronoun

Word Origin for I

British Dictionary definitions for is (14 of 14)

symbol for

abbreviation for

Word Origin for I

Medical definitions for is (1 of 3)

Medical definitions for is (2 of 3)

pref.

Medical definitions for is (3 of 3)

Scientific definitions for is (1 of 3)

Scientific definitions for is (2 of 3)

Scientific definitions for is (3 of 3)

Idioms and Phrases with is (1 of 2)

Idioms and Phrases with is (2 of 2)