- present participle of offer.
offering
Americannoun
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something offered in worship or devotion, as to a deity; an oblation or sacrifice.
-
a contribution given to or through the church for a particular purpose, as at a religious service.
-
anything offered as a gift.
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something presented for inspection or sale.
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a sale.
our spring offering of furniture.
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the act of one who offers.
noun
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something that is offered
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a contribution to the funds of a religious organization
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a sacrifice, as of an animal, to a deity
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of offering
First recorded before 1000; Middle English; Old English offrung; equivalent to offer + -ing 1
Explanation
An offering is a type of offer or bid, like the kind made in a business meeting. When you offer something—like a cookie—you're asking someone if they want it. An offering is like that: it's an offer. One type of offering is a proposal or bid made in business. A sports team could make an offering of three million dollars a year to a running back. A bidder could make an offering of one thousand dollars at an auction. An offering is a promise to pay that much if the offering is accepted.
Vocabulary lists containing offering
King Tut Day
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Ship Breaker
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Novel Study: The Road, Pages 1–175
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
He bought gold in the hope of it offering protection as bonds used to, although since the Iran war it hasn’t worked.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 12, 2026
Their findings suggest the non-invasive approach may shift the body's immune response away from long-lasting inflammation and toward tissue repair, offering a potential drug-free strategy for improving healing.
From Science Daily • Jul. 12, 2026
Alongside fellow German discounter Lidl, Aldi picked up huge swathes of the market by offering discount prices for high-quality goods.
From BBC • Jul. 12, 2026
It’s also the most expensive coconut water offering at Erewhon.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 11, 2026
The words seemed to come from outside her, but it was only a whippoorwill offering its plaintive, three-note cry.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
