To give is to hand something over to someone else, usually letting them have it without expecting anything back. When you give your friend a birthday present, you're transferring ownership from yourself to them. When a teacher gives an assignment, she's providing something (though students might not feel as enthusiastic about receiving homework as they would a gift!).

Giving can involve physical objects, like giving someone a book or giving food to a hungry person. But you can also give intangible things: giving advice, giving permission, giving someone your attention, or giving a speech. A musician gives a performance. A witness gives testimony in court.

The word appears in many common phrases. When something gives way, it breaks or collapses under pressure, like a rope that snaps or ice that cracks. To give in means to stop resisting and accept defeat. To give up means to quit trying. When you give someone the benefit of the doubt, you choose to believe they meant well even when you're not certain.

Notice that give often implies generosity or sacrifice: you're letting go of something you could have kept. That's why we speak of someone who freely shares their time and resources as giving.