offering
Americannoun
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something offered in worship or devotion, as to a deity; an oblation or sacrifice.
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a contribution given to or through the church for a particular purpose, as at a religious service.
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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
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.
WSJ | Buy Side: Low‑interest lending options are often suited for established businesses and include bank, credit union, online and SBA lenders offering competitive rates.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
The stock also is valued at nearly 30 times its adjusted pro forma net income for 2025 of around 90 cents a share, assuming an IPO offering price of $26, Barron’s estimates.
From Barron's • Apr. 15, 2026
SpaceX has also confidentially filed for an initial public offering, setting the stage for Musk to take the company public as soon as June.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 15, 2026
Ware's audience expects to dance, with her early material offering an opportunity to catch a breath between the choreography, effervescence and glitz.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
“Boy, Grandpa, that’s a lot of money. How come they’re offering such a big reward for a bunch of little old monkeys?”
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
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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.