# has

/ˈhæz/ (US) · /hˈæz/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/has
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. possession or relationship

verb · CEFR A1

to own something or have a relationship with someone.

For teachers: the third-person singular form of 'have' used to indicate possession, ownership, or a relationship.

- She has a beautiful garden behind her house.
- The company has a reputation for excellence that spans several decades and multiple continents.

Usage: Used with singular subjects like 'he', 'she', 'it', or specific names.

### 2. auxiliary for perfect tenses

verb · CEFR A2

a helper word used to talk about things that happened in the past.

For teachers: the third-person singular auxiliary verb used to form the present perfect and past perfect tenses.

- He has finished his homework and is now watching TV.
- The researcher has conducted several experiments to verify the initial hypothesis regarding climate patterns.

Usage: Followed by a past participle to form the present perfect tense.

## Examples

- She has a new car.
- The manager has the final say on which candidates we will hire for the summer internship.
- While the company has a reputation for innovation, it has struggled to maintain its market share against more agile competitors in recent years.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.