# hath

/ˈhæθ/ (US) · /hˈæθ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/hath
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. archaic form of has

verb · CEFR C2 · Archaic · Literary

an old word for 'has' used in historical writing and the Bible.

For teachers: The archaic third-person singular present indicative of 'have'; now restricted to liturgical, poetic, or historical contexts.

- The old proverb says that every dog hath its day.
- The poet writes that 'he who hath a good neighbor hath a good morrow', using the archaic inflection to evoke a sense of timeless wisdom.

Usage: Used with third-person singular subjects like 'he', 'she', 'it', or a singular noun.

Teaching tip: Learners will primarily encounter this in the King James Bible or Shakespeare; they should recognize it but never use it in their own modern production.

## Examples

- The heart hath its reasons which reason knows nothing of.
- In the classic text, the author writes that every cloud hath a silver lining.
- The poet suggests that while time hath a way of stealing youth, it cannot diminish the wisdom gained through decades of lived experience.

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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.