Word
offer
Phoneticsof·fer
US/ˈɔfɝ/
UK/ˈɒfɐ/
Definitions
01to present something for acceptance
v. to ask if someone would like to have something or if they want you to do something.
v. to present something to be either accepted or rejected; often used with a direct object or an infinitive clause.
“The hotel staff offered us a free drink while we waited for our room.”
“The company offered the candidate a generous relocation package to encourage her to accept the position in the overseas branch.”
Pitfall
He offered to me a drink.
He offered me a drink.
When 'offer' has two objects, the person usually comes first without 'to'. Alternatively, say 'He offered a drink to me'.
02to volunteer
v. to say that you are willing to do something for someone.
v. to express a willingness to perform an action or provide a service. Intransitive or followed by a to-infinitive.
“My neighbour offered to water my plants while I was away on holiday.”
“Several local businesses offered to sponsor the charity event, providing both financial support and volunteer staff for the weekend.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
03to provide or make available
v. to provide a chance, an opportunity, or a service.
v. to provide or make available for use or consideration.
“The new city park offers many activities for children and families.”
“The revised curriculum offers students the flexibility to specialise in digital media while maintaining a strong foundation in traditional art history.”
04religious sacrifice
v. to give something to a god as a sign of respect or worship.
v. to present something to a deity as an act of worship, devotion, or sacrifice.
“The villagers offered fruit and flowers at the temple during the festival.”
“In many ancient cultures, priests would offer the first harvest to the gods to ensure continued prosperity for the community.”
Formal
05to align parts
v. to hold a part in place to see if it fits before fixing it.
v. to place a component in its intended position to check for fit or alignment before final assembly.
“You should offer the shelf up to the wall to check the height before drilling.”
“The technician carefully offered the replacement panel up to the fuselage to ensure the bolt holes aligned perfectly with the existing frame.”
Technical
Usage
Often used with the particle 'up' as in 'offer up'.
Synonyms
06a proposal or bid
n. a suggestion or a price that you are willing to pay for something.
n. an expression of readiness to do or give something; specifically, a bid or a proposal in a commercial or personal context.
“We made an offer on the house, but the owners wanted more money.”
“After weeks of negotiation, the firm submitted a formal offer to acquire its smaller competitor for fifty million dollars.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
07legal invitation
n. a formal promise to enter a contract if the other person agrees.
n. a clear expression of willingness to enter into a binding contract under specific terms, which becomes legally enforceable upon acceptance.
“The court ruled that the advertisement was not a legal offer but an invitation to treat.”
“A valid offer must be communicated clearly to the offeree and contain sufficiently definite terms to create a binding agreement.”
Technical
Synonyms
Etymology
From Middle English offer, from Old English offrian (“offer or make a sacrifice”) rather than from Old French offre (“offer”), from offrir (“to offer”), from Latin offerō (“to present, bring before”). Compare North Frisian offer (“sacrifice, donation, fee”), Dutch offer (“offering, sacrifice”), German Opfer (“victim, sacrifice”), Danish offer (“victim, sacrifice”), Icelandic offr (“offering”). See verb below.
From Middle English offren, offrien. In the religious senses inherited from Old English offrian (“to offer, sacrifice, bring an oblation”); otherwise from Old French ofrir. Both ultimately from Latin offerō (“to present, bestow, bring before”, literally “to bring to”), from Latin ob + ferō (“bring, carry”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to carry, bear”), later reinforced by Old French offrir (“to offer”). Cognate with Old Frisian offria (“to offer”), Old Dutch offrōn (“to offer”), German opfern (“to offer”), Old Norse offra (“to offer”). More at ob-, bear.
From off + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Collocations
Idioms
offer affordances — To give elbow room or leeway (for something to happen).
offer one can't refuse — An offer from one side in a transaction with terms so attractive that the other side is almost guaranteed to accept.
offer one's condolences — To offer sympathy to someone who has recently experienced the loss of a loved one.
offer up — To give (thanks, praise) to God.
Domains
Scan code
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