tense
See also: tensé
EnglishEdit
PronunciationEdit
Etymology 1Edit
Borrowed from Old French tens (modern French temps), from Latin tempus. Doublet of tempo.
NounEdit
tense (plural tenses)
- (grammar, countable) Any of the forms of a verb which distinguish when an action or state of being occurs or exists.
- The basic tenses in English are present, past, and future.
- (linguistics, grammar, countable) An inflected form of a verb that indicates tense.
- English only has a present tense and a past tense; it has no future tense.
- (linguistics, uncountable) The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists.
- Dyirbal verbs are not inflected for tense.
Usage notesEdit
- Some English-language authorities only consider inflected forms of verbs (i.e. the present and past tenses) as tenses, and not periphrastic forms such as the simple future with will.
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
- See: Category:en:Tenses
TranslationsEdit
verb forms distinguishing time
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VerbEdit
tense (third-person singular simple present tenses, present participle tensing, simple past and past participle tensed)
- (grammar, transitive) To apply a tense to.
- tensing a verb
Etymology 2Edit
Borrowed from Latin tēnsus, one form of the past participle of tendō (“stretch”).
AdjectiveEdit
tense (comparative tenser, superlative tensest)
Derived termsEdit
Related termsEdit
TranslationsEdit
showing stress or strain
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pulled taut
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
VerbEdit
tense (third-person singular simple present tenses, present participle tensing, simple past and past participle tensed)
TranslationsEdit
make or become tense
AnagramsEdit
LatinEdit
ParticipleEdit
tēnse
SpanishEdit
VerbEdit
tense