Tense: meaning, definitions and examples
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tense
[ tɛns ]
Noun / Adjective
Context #1 | Noun
grammar
A form of a verb that shows the time of an action or a state of being. In English, there are three main tenses: past, present, and future.
Synonyms
time form, verb form.
Examples of usage
- He walks to school every day. (present tense)
- She sang a song yesterday. (past tense)
- They will visit us tomorrow. (future tense)
Etymology
The word 'tense' originated from the Latin word 'tempus', meaning 'time'. It entered English in the 14th century with the specific grammatical sense of verb inflections indicating time relations. Over time, 'tense' has also come to be used in a broader sense to describe mental or emotional stress, reflecting the concept of time pressure leading to anxiety.