# present

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈpɹɛz.ənt/ · frequency rank #680

## Definitions
1. Relating to now, for the time being; current.
2. Located in the immediate vicinity.
3. Having an immediate effect (of a medicine, poison etc.); fast-acting.
4. Not delayed; immediate; instant.
5. Ready; quick in emergency.
6. Favorably attentive; propitious.
7. Relating to something a person is referring to in the very context, with a deictic use similar to the demonstrative adjective this.
8. Attentive; alert; focused.
9. Neither for or against (used in voting to express abstention)

## Etymology
From Middle English present, from Old French present, from Latin praesent-, praesens, present participle of praeesse (“to be present”), from Latin prae- (“pre-”) + esse (“to be”).

## Easily confused with
- **preset** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-preset)
- **prevent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-prevent)
- **pretend** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-pretend)
- **prudent** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-prudent)
- **pretext** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-pretext)
- **presents** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-presents)
- **president** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-president)
- **presented** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-presented)
- **presenter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-presenter)
- **presently** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/present-vs-presently)
- **prefect** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prefect-vs-present)
- **preheat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/preheat-vs-present)
- **precept** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/precept-vs-present)
- **presence** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/presence-vs-present)
- **prescient** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/prescient-vs-present)

## Common misspellings (11)
`persent`, `ppresent`, `preesnt`, `presennt`, `presentt`, `presetn`, `presnet`, `pressent`, `prresent`, `prseent`, `rpesent`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/present