grant
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to give someone what they asked for, such as permission, money, or a wish.
v.to bestow or confer something formally, typically in response to a request or petition.
Simple“The council decided to grant him permission to build the new garage.”
In context“The university committee voted to grant the researcher full access to the restricted archives for the duration of her project.”
UsageOften used as a ditransitive verb: to grant someone something.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to agree that something is true, even if you do not like it or are still arguing.
v.to concede or acknowledge the validity of a point for the sake of argument.
Simple“I grant that the plan is expensive, but I still think it is necessary.”
In context“While I grant that the initial data was flawed, the subsequent findings remain statistically significant and deserve further investigation.”
Synonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.an amount of money given by a government or organization for a special purpose, like education or research.
n.a sum of money provided by a government, local authority, or fund for a specific project or purpose.
Simple“She applied for a government grant to help pay for her university fees.”
In context“The research team secured a substantial federal grant to investigate the long-term effects of microplastics on marine ecosystems.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
n.the legal act of giving property or rights to someone else.
n.the formal transfer of property or rights by deed or other written instrument.
Simple“The grant of the land was recorded in the city's official documents.”
In context“The original royal grant ensured that the local community retained grazing rights on the common land in perpetuity.”
Synonyms - 05 C2 Proficiency
n.a slang term for a fifty-dollar bill in the United States.
n.a fifty-dollar banknote in the United States, named after President Ulysses S. Grant whose portrait appears on it.
Simple“He pulled a grant out of his wallet to pay for the dinner.”
In context“The street vendor looked suspiciously at the crisp Grant, checking the watermark before handing over the change.”
Teacher's tipThis is a very specific Americanism; learners should use 'fifty-dollar bill' in most contexts.
“The ORR said its latest decision to grant track access was “an important next step”, but that there was “still more work to do” before the new services can run.”
“She has received research grants from the U.S.”
From Scottish Gaelic Grannd, from Anglo-Norman graunt (“big, large”), from Old French grant, from Latin grandis. Doublet of grand. The dollar-bill sense is from the portrait of Ulysses S. Grant featured on it.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.