Meaning & use
have
Last updated
To possess, hold, or own something, or to experience or undergo an event or state.
See it in a sentence
They have a small house near the coast.
We had a wonderful time at the festival last night.
A note on using this word
Beyond meaning "to possess," have is one of English's core auxiliary verbs, used to form the perfect tenses, as in "I have finished."
Words with a similar meaning
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
Another way to use it
2. verb
Used as an auxiliary verb with a past participle to form perfect tenses.
She has already left for the airport.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “have”, then compare your use with the examples above.