meet
- 01 A1 Beginner
v.to come together with someone at a specific place or time.
v.to come into the presence of or join someone by arrangement or accident.
Simple“Let's meet outside the cinema at seven o'clock tonight.”
In context“The delegates agreed to meet in a neutral location to ensure that the negotiations could proceed without external pressure.”
UsageOften used without an object when referring to a group coming together.
PitfallI will meet with you at the station. I will meet you at the station.In most contexts, 'meet' is transitive and does not need 'with'. Use 'meet with' only for formal discussions or scheduled business appointments.
- 02 A1 Beginner
v.to see and speak to someone for the first time.
v.to be introduced to someone or to make the acquaintance of another person.
Simple“I am very pleased to meet you after hearing so much about your work.”
In context“It was during the international conference in Berlin that she first met the researcher who would eventually become her long-term collaborator.”
UsageCommonly used in the passive voice during introductions.
Synonymsget to know - 03 B1 Intermediate
v.to fulfill a requirement, a need, or a condition.
v.to satisfy or comply with a standard, requirement, or expectation.
Simple“The new product must meet all safety standards before it can be sold.”
In context“The applicant failed to meet the rigorous criteria established by the admissions board, despite having significant professional experience in the field.”
UsageCommonly collocates with 'needs', 'requirements', 'deadlines', or 'standards'.
- 04 B1 Intermediate
v.to touch or join together at a certain point.
v.to come into physical contact or to intersect at a specific point.
Simple“This is the point where the two rivers meet and flow into the sea.”
In context“The two mountain ranges meet at a narrow pass that has served as a vital trade route for centuries.”
UsageIntransitive when describing where two lines or roads join.
- 05 B1 Intermediate
n.a sports competition, especially for running or swimming.
n.a scheduled athletic competition or gathering, typically for track and field or swimming.
Simple“She won two gold medals at the regional track meet last weekend.”
In context“The annual swim meet attracted competitors from across the state, resulting in several new records being established in the butterfly events.”
Teacher's tipIn British English, 'meeting' is more common for athletics, while 'meet' is often associated specifically with swimming or hunting.
Synonyms - 06 C2 Proficiency
adj.right or suitable for a situation.
adj.fitting, proper, or appropriate for a specific occasion or person.
Simple“It is meet and right that we should celebrate this victory together.”
In context“The king deemed it meet to reward his loyal subjects with a grand feast following the successful harvest.”
UsageAlmost exclusively found in religious texts or older literature.
Teacher's tipModern learners should avoid using this as an adjective in speech; it will sound like a mistake for 'meat' or 'meet' (verb).
SynonymsAntonyms
meet vs know — Meet is the first encounter or arrival; know is the ongoing state of familiarity.
Usage meet the needs · meet certain · meet international
From Middle English meten, from Old English mētan (“to meet, find, encounter”), from Proto-West Germanic mōtijan (“to meet”), from Proto-Germanic mōtijaną (“to meet”), from Proto-Indo-European *meh₂d- (“to come, meet”). Cognates Cognate with Scots met, mete, meit (“to meet”), North Frisian meet, mätje, möt (“to meet”), West Frisian mette, moetsje (“to meet”), Dutch ontmoeten (“to meet”), Low German möten (“to meet”), Danish møde (“to meet”), Elfdalian my̨öt (“to meet”), Faroese møta (“to meet”), Icelandic mæta (“to meet”), Norwegian Bokmål møte (“to meet”), Norwegian Nynorsk møta, møte (“to meet”), Swedish möta (“to meet”). Related to moot.
From Middle English mete, imete, from Old English ġemǣte (“suitable, having the same measurements”), from the Proto-Germanic gamētijaz, mētiz (“reasonable; estimable”) (cognate with Dutch meten (“measure”), German gemäß (“suitable”) etc.), itself from collective prefix ga- + Proto-Indo-European med- (“to measure”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.