simple present

American  

[sim-puhl prez-uhnt] / ˈsɪm pəl ˈprɛz ənt /

noun

simple presents plural

1. a verb formation used to express an action or state occurring in the present, as in walk, is, has, travel.

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adjective

1. designating a verb formation used to express an action or state occurring in the present.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• simple presents
  plural

Etymology

Origin of simple present

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

This is not a do-it-yourself spreadsheet exercise; it takes careful planning and depth that a simple spreadsheet won’t capture.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026

The meetings began years ago, with a simple spreadsheet and a singular goal: We wanted to buy an apartment.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 24, 2026

To do that, put together a spending plan and then make sure you stick to it by tracking your spending with an online money management site like Mint or a simple spreadsheet.

From Forbes • May 15, 2015

In other industries, a simple spreadsheet might suffice to keep track of sales.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2015

Here’s a simple spreadsheet containing the data I used.

From Slate • Aug. 27, 2014