given

given — verb

1. The form of the verb 'give' that you use with 'have', 'has', or 'had' to talk ab

1.verbtransitive / intransitiveA1
Definition

The form of the verb 'give' that you use with 'have', 'has', or 'had' to talk about a past act of handing something to someone, or with 'be' to describe something that was provided.

Example

Asher has given his old bicycle to his younger brother.

present perfect: has/have + given + [something] + to + [someone]

The award was given to Hiro by the mayor at the ceremony.

passive: be + given + to + [someone]

Common collocations
  • given + to
  • given + something + to + someone
  • given away
  • given back
  • given out

Grammar Patterns

have/has/had + given + [something] + to + [someone]

be + given + [something]

be + given + to + [someone]

Usage Note

Frequently used with indirect objects: the person receiving what is given. In passive constructions, either the thing given or the receiver can be the subject ('The book was given to Linh' or 'Linh was given the book').

Common Mistakes

I have gave him the keys.
I have given him the keys.
'given' is the past participle; 'gave' is the simple past form.

given — preposition

given — adjective

given — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'A given' (noun) refers to something accepted as obviously true without needing proof, often about everyday facts or situations. 'Certainty' is the broadest term — it can apply to anything known for sure, from scientific facts to personal feelings, and is used in both formal and informal contexts. 'Sure thing' is informal and conversational; it often refers to an outcome that seems guaranteed, like a win in a game. 'Foregone conclusion' emphasises that the result is already known before it happens, carrying a tone of inevitability — it is commonly used when discussing elections, competitions, or negotiations. For example: 'That rent will go up each year is a given for most tenants.' 'Whether the team wins the championship is not a certainty yet.' 'With her lead, winning this round is a sure thing.' 'After the scandal, his resignation was a foregone conclusion.'

certainty ↗sure thing ↗foregone conclusiongiven ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • given circumstances
  • given conditions
  • given time
  • given date
  • given facts
  • given values

Phrases

  • a given
  • it is a given that
  • given the fact that
  • under the given circumstances
  • at a given point

Prepositions

  • given to
  • given that

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

'Given' comes from Old English 'giefen', the past participle of 'giefan' (to give). It started as a purely grammatical form — the participle of the verb 'give' — but by the 14th century, English speakers began using it as a preposition meaning 'considering' and an adjective meaning 'specified' or 'assumed'. The noun use ('a given') developed in the 19th century, particularly in logic and mathematics, before spreading into everyday language to mean 'something that is taken for granted'.