present tense

[ prez-uhnt tens ]

nounGrammar.
  1. (in English) the simple present.

  2. any verb formation or construction used to express an action or state occurring in the present, such as, in English, the present progressive.

  1. an instance or form of a specific verb expressing an action or state that occurs in the present.

Origin of present tense

1
First recorded in 1400–50
  • Also present .

Words Nearby present tense

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use present tense in a sentence

  • I know thou likest this lively present-tense manner, as it is one of my peculiars.

    Clarissa, Volume 6 (of 9) | Samuel Richardson
  • Verbs in the present-tense form are changed to the past-tense form.

    An English Grammar | W. M. Baskervill and J. W. Sewell