visit definition verb

: to go somewhere to spend time with (someone, such as a friend or relative)

: to go somewhere to see and talk to (someone) in an official way or as part of your job

: to go to see (a doctor, dentist, etc.)

Full Definition of VISIT

Origin of visit, related to visit.

: an occasion when someone goes to a place to see and talk to someone for usually a brief time

: an occasion when someone goes to a place for pleasure, as part of a job, to do something, etc.

: an occasion when you are staying in a hotel, motel, etc.

First Known Use of VISIT

Definition of visit for kids, word root of visit, learn more about visit.

• domiciliary visit
• right of visit

Seen & Heard

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• visitation: a parent's right to visit a child as ordered by a court in a divorce case.
• visitor: a person who visits.

• 1.1 Etymology
• 1.2 Pronunciation
• 1.3.1 Conjugation
• 1.3.2 Synonyms
• 1.3.3 Derived terms
• 1.3.4 Translations
• 1.4.1 Derived terms
• 1.4.2 Translations
• 1.5 Related terms

From Middle English visiten , from Old French visiter , from Latin vīsitō , frequentative of vīsō ( “ behold, survey ” ) , from videō ( “ see ” ) . Cognate with Old Saxon wīsōn ( “ to visit, afflict ” ) , archaic German weisen ( “ to visit, afflict ” ) . Displaced native Old English sēċan ( “ to visit ” ) and sōcn ( “ a visit ” ) .

Pronunciation

• IPA ( key ) : /ˈvɪzɪt/
• Rhymes: -ɪzɪt
• Hyphenation: vis‧it

visit ( third-person singular simple present visits , present participle visiting , simple past and past participle visited )

• ( transitive ) To habitually go to (someone in distress, sickness etc.) to comfort them. (Now generally merged into later senses, below.) [from 13th c.]
• ( transitive , intransitive ) To go and meet (a person) as an act of friendliness or sociability . [from 14th c.] She decided to visit her grandparents for Christmas.
• 1611 , The Holy Bible,   [ … ] ( King James Version ), London: [ … ] Robert Barker ,   [ … ] , →OCLC , Luke 1:68 : [God] hath visited and redeemed his people.
• 1611 , The Holy Bible,   [ … ] ( King James Version ), London: [ … ] Robert Barker ,   [ … ] , →OCLC , Ruth 1:6 : Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread.
• 1788 , Edward Gibbon , The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire , volume 68 : Her life was spared by the clemency of the emperor, but he visited the pomp and treasures of her palace.
• 1890 , James George Frazer , The Golden Bough : There used to be a sharp contest as to where the effigy was to be made, for the people thought that the house from which it was carried forth would not be visited with death that year.
• 2007 September 25, Bungie , Halo 3 , Microsoft Game Studios , Xbox 360 , level/area: Terminal Six (Legendary) : 05-032 was right about one thing: there is only one way to defeat the enemy, and that is to visit utter annihilation on it.
• 2011 December 2, John Mullan, The Guardian : If this were an Ibsen play, we would be thinking of the sins of one generation being visited upon another, he said.
• ( transitive ) To go to (a shrine, temple etc.) for worship . (Now generally merged into later senses, below.) [from 14th c.]
• 1918 , W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell , chapter XIX, in The Mirror and the Lamp , Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company , →OCLC : Nothing was too small to receive attention, if a supervising eye could suggest improvements likely to conduce to the common welfare. Mr. Gordon Burnage, for instance, personally visited dust-bins and back premises, accompanied by a sort of village bailiff, going his round like a commanding officer doing billets.
• 2018 , VOA Learning English > China's Melting Glacier Brings Visitors, Adds to Climate Concerns ‎ [1] : Each year, millions of people visit the 4,570-meter-high Baishui Glacier in southern China.

Conjugation

† Archaic or obsolete .

• ( go and meet ) : : call on

Derived terms

• visit a spell

Translations

visit ( plural visits )

• 1899 , Stephen Crane , chapter 1, in Twelve O'Clock : There was some laughter, and Roddle was left free to expand his ideas on the periodic visits of cowboys to the town. “Mason Rickets, he had ten big punkins a-sittin' in front of his store, an' them fellers from the Upside-down-F ranch shot 'em up […].”
• ( medicine , insurance ) A meeting with a doctor at their surgery or the doctor's at one's home .
• closed visit
• conjugal visit
• educational visit
• flying visit
• pay a visit
• state visit

Related terms

• third-person singular present / perfect active indicative of vīsō

• English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European
• English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *weyd-
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What does the verb visit mean?

There are 31 meanings listed in OED's entry for the verb visit , three of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

visit has developed meanings and uses in subjects including

Entry status

OED is undergoing a continuous programme of revision to modernize and improve definitions. This entry has not yet been fully revised.

How common is the verb visit ?

How is the verb visit pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the verb visit come from.

Earliest known use

Middle English

The earliest known use of the verb visit is in the Middle English period (1150—1500).

OED's earliest evidence for visit is from before 1250, in Ancrene Riwle .

visit is of multiple origins. Either a borrowing from French. Or a borrowing from Latin.

Etymons: French visiter ; Latin vīsitāre .

Nearby entries

• visionist, n. 1665–
• visionless, adj. a1821–
• visionlike, adv. 1824–
• vision loss, n. 1937–
• vision-mixer, n. 1938–
• vision quest, n. 1922–
• vision splendid, n. 1807–
• vision-telephone, n. 1966–
• visiophone, n. 1971–
• visit, n. 1626–
• visit, v. a1250–
• visitable, adj. 1605–
• visitador, n. 1698–
• Visitandine, n. 1747–
• visitant, n. & adj. 1601–
• visitating, adj. a1625–
• visitation, n. 1303–
• visitational, adj. 1791–
• visitationer, n. 1670
• visitator, n. 1536–
• visitatorial, adj. 1688–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, compounds & derived words, entry history for visit, v..

visit, v. was first published in 1917; not yet revised.

visit, v. was last modified in December 2023.

Revision of the OED is a long-term project. Entries in oed.com which have not been revised may include:

• corrections and revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations which have been added in subsequent print and online updates.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into visit, v. in December 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

OED First Edition (1917)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

• View visit, v. in OED Second Edition

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Citation details

Factsheet for visit, v., browse entry.

Synonyms of visit

• as in to see
• as in to stay
• as in to chat
• as in to haunt
• as in to call
• as in visitation
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Thesaurus Definition of visit

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

• call (on or upon)
• drop in (on)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• brush (aside or off)
• cold - shoulder
• hang (around or out)
• shoot the breeze
• chew the rag
• talk a blue streak
• chew the fat
• resort (to)
• stop (by or in)
• stop (over)
• camp (out in)
• sojourn (at)
• happen (by)

Thesaurus Definition of visit  (Entry 2 of 2)

• get - together

Examples of visit in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'visit.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Thesaurus Entries Near visit

Cite this entry.

“Visit.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/visit. Accessed 29 Aug. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on visit

Nglish: Translation of visit for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of visit for Arabic Speakers

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Definition of visit noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

• a two-day/three-day visit
• the prime minister's surprise visit to the troops
• an official/state visit
• visit to somebody/something It's my first visit to New York.
• If you have time, pay a visit to the local museum.
• The family made a visit to England in the summer of 1923.
• a visit to the doctor
• His visits home were limited to Christmas.
• visit from somebody We had a visit from the police last night.
• visit by somebody Arranegments are being made for a visit by a member of the royal family.
• (British English) a home visit (= when your doctor visits you)
• a brief/recent visit
• on/during a visit The team reported on deficiencies found during the site visit .
• Regular visits to the dentist are important.
• Is this a social visit, or is it business?
• They're on an exchange visit to France.
• Following this initial visit, she will return to Montserrat in June.
• Following her letter of complaint, she received a personal visit from the store manager.
• He offered her a drink to try to prolong her visit.
• He was forced to cut short a visit to North America.
• How many doctors are still able to make home visits?
• I think it's time we paid him a little visit.
• I'd been looking forward to my cousin's visit for ages.
• If you're staying in Rome, Ostia is well worth a visit.
• On one of her regular visits home, she told her parents she was engaged.
• Pay us a visit next time you're in town.
• She enjoyed the frequent visits of her grandchildren.
• The President has been briefed in preparation for his forthcoming visit to Russia.
• The visit signalled the normalization of relations between the two countries.
• We had a visit from somebody collecting for charity.
• We received a letter announcing a visit from government inspectors.
• We used to go on school visits to museums and historical buildings.
• While on holiday in Italy, the prime minister paid a courtesy visit to his opposite number in Rome.
• You should receive a home visit from your midwife within a month.
• a visit to the dentist
• Allow three hours for your visit.
• Enjoy your visit!
• Is this a social visit or are you here on business?
• Is this your first visit to New York?
• She was making one of her frequent visits to London.
• The inspectors paid a surprise visit to the factory.
• The prime minister is on an official visit to Jamaica.
• They received a visit from the party leader.
• We had to cut short our visit and fly home.
• during a/​the visit
• on a/​the visit

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Other results

• courtesy visit
• visit with somebody
• visit something on somebody/something
• visit something upon somebody/something

Nearby words

• VisitBritain

• Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Definition of visit – Learner’s Dictionary

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visit verb ( SEE A PERSON )

• I'm going to New York to visit some friends .
• Come and visit us if you're at a loose end over the weekend .
• I'm going to visit my ailing father .
• When he visits his mother , he sleeps in his old room .
• He visited the old woman religiously every weekend .

visit verb ( SEE A PLACE )

Visit verb ( internet ), phrasal verbs.

• His visit gave new impetus to the peace process .
• The government barred demonstrations during the state visit.
• The bombing has cast a shadow over the Queen's visit.
• Her visit is strictly business .
• He paid them a flying visit on his way to the airport .

(Definition of visit from the Cambridge Learner's Dictionary © Cambridge University Press)

Translations of visit

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Word of the Day

a day that you spend somewhere that is not your home or usual place of work

It’s not really my thing (How to say you don’t like something)

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Stative Verbs: Definition, Usage and Examples

By: Author English Study Online

Posted on Last updated: August 28, 2024

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Are you struggling to understand the difference between stative verbs and action verbs? This reference will help you grasp what stative verbs are and how they function in sentences. This reference also provides lists of common stative verbs, practice exercises, and examples to help reinforce your learning.

Table of Contents

What are Stative Verbs?

Stative verbs describe states, emotions, and conditions rather than actions. These verbs can also express opinions, senses, and possession.

Definition and Characteristics

Stative verbs are unique as they describe a state of being or mind rather than an action . Typical examples include “believe,” “love,” and “own.”

They generally don’t show an activity. For instance, “know” reflects a state of knowledge.

Key points:

• States of Being:  “Exist,” “seem,” “belong”
• Mental States:  “Think,” “know,” “understand”
• Emotions:  “Love,” “hate,” “fear”
• Senses:  “Hear,” “see,” “smell”
• Possession:  “Own,” “have,” “possess”

Stative verbs usually stay constant over time. Unlike action verbs , they don’t typically use continuous tenses (e.g., “is knowing” is incorrect).

Functions of Stative Verbs

Stative verbs help you convey permanent or semi-permanent states. They play a vital role in making your speech and writing clear and precise. For example, saying “I believe you” uses “believe” to express a mental state.

Some stative verbs can act as action verbs when the context changes. “Think” can be a stative verb when it means “believe” (“I think it’s a good idea”). It becomes an action verb when it means “ponder” (“I’m thinking about the problem”).

• Mental State:  “I think that movie is great.”
• Sense:  “This cake tastes delicious.”
• Possession:  “She owns a red car.”

Using stative verbs correctly helps you distinguish between temporary actions and ongoing states, making your language more accurate and effective.

Categories of Stative Verbs

Stative verbs can be grouped into four main categories: perception, emotion, thought, and possession. Each category describes a different kind of state that these verbs express.

Verbs of Perception

Verbs of perception relate to the senses and describe how something is perceived . These verbs include words like  see ,  hear ,  smell ,  taste , and  feel . They are used to describe how something appears or feels to you. For example, “The cake smells delicious” or “I hear the music.”

These verbs are not usually used in the continuous form. You would say, “I see a bird,” not “I am seeing a bird.” Verbs of perception help convey immediate experiences related to your senses without implying any action.

Here is a list of verbs of perception:

Verbs of Emotion

Verbs of emotion express feelings and attitudes. Words like  love ,  hate ,  like ,  dislike , and  prefer  fall into this category. These verbs tell how you feel about something or someone. For instance, “I love this book” or “She dislikes broccoli.”

Emotional verbs are rarely used in progressive forms. You say, “He hates exams,” instead of “He is hating exams.” These verbs describe fixed emotional states that do not typically change over short periods.

Here is a list of verbs of emotions:

You might also like: List of Emotions

Verbs of Thought

Verbs of thought relate to mental processes and opinions. This category includes verbs such as  think ,  know ,  believe ,  understand , and  remember . For instance, “I believe in honesty” or “She knows the answer.”

These verbs describe ongoing states of mind. They are usually not used in the continuous form. You say, “I think it’s great,” not “I am thinking it’s great.” These verbs help you communicate stable thoughts and mental states.

Here is a list of verbs of thought:

Verbs of Possession

Verbs of possession indicate ownership or relationships regarding something you possess. Examples include  have ,  own ,  possess , and  belong . Statements like “I have a car” or “This book belongs to me” illustrate this type of verb.

Possessive verbs also stick to the non-progressive form. You say, “I own a house,” not “I am owning a house.” These verbs clarify who owns or holds something and are used to express continuous states of possession.

Here is a list of verbs of possession:

Usage Rules for Stative Verbs

Stative verbs describe states of being, emotions, or perceptions and have specific usage rules. They are not usually used in continuous tenses and are most often found in the present simple tense.

Present Simple Tense Usage

Stative verbs frequently appear in the present simple tense because they describe conditions that are generally constant or ongoing. For example, you would say, “I know the answer” rather than “I am knowing the answer.”

In these sentences, verbs like  know ,  believe , and  own  indicate a state rather than an action. The present simple tense captures this static condition effectively.

Additionally, stative verbs can describe opinions or feelings. Use  think  in “I think it’s a good idea” to express an opinion. For feelings, use verbs like  love ,  hate , and  dislike  in the present simple tense.

• I believe in honesty.
• She owns a car.
• He dislikes noise.

Non-Continuous Aspect

Stative verbs generally do not use continuous forms (like the present continuous). You should not say, “I am knowing” or “She is owning.” This is because these verbs represent situations that are static or unchanging rather than dynamic processes.

Common stative verbs include  be ,  seem ,  think , and  need . These reflect states of being, senses, desires, emotions, and opinions.

For instance:

• correct : “I need help.”
• incorrect : “I am needing help.”

The non-continuous aspect ensures clarity in expressing states that do not change over time.

Examples of Stative Verbs

Stative verbs express a state or condition rather than an action. They often describe perceptions, emotions, thoughts, and possession. Below are specific examples of stative verbs in various contexts.

Verbs of Perception in Context

Verbs of perception describe how you experience the world through your senses.  See ,  hear ,  smell ,  taste , and  feel  are common examples.

• See : You might say, “I see the mountains from my window,” describing a sensory perception.
• Hear : “She hears music playing in the background” illustrates the use of a stative verb to describe sound perception.
• Feel : “I feel the softness of the fabric” indicates a tactile experience.

These verbs usually do not take continuous tenses when describing a state.

Verbs of Emotion in Context

Emotional states are described using verbs like  love ,  hate ,  prefer , and  dislike .

• Love : “I love chocolate ice cream” shows an emotional state.
• Hate : “They hate waking up early” communicates a strong dislike.
• Prefer : “I prefer summer over winter” indicates a preference.

These verbs indicate long-term feelings rather than actions.

Verbs of Thought in Context

Thought-related verbs cover mental activities and state beliefs or opinions. Examples include  believe ,  think ,  know , and  understand .

• Believe : “I believe in fairies” describes a belief.
• Think : “She thinks it’s a good idea” reflects an opinion.
• Know : “We know the rules very well” points to familiarity.

These verbs usually do not take continuous tenses when expressing a thought or belief.

Verbs of Possession in Context

Possession verbs highlight ownership or association, such as  have ,  own ,  possess , and  belong .

• Have : “I have a beautiful garden” states ownership.
• Own : “They own two cars” shows possession.
• Belong : “These keys belong to me” indicates association.

Possession verbs convey continuous ownership, not an action being performed.

Stative Verbs and Linking Verbs

Stative verbs and linking verbs can sometimes confuse learners of English.  Stative verbs  describe a state or condition. They show how something  is  rather than what it  does .  Linking verbs  connect the subject to more information about the subject.

Stative Verbs

Stative verbs include words like:

These verbs express thoughts, emotions, senses, and states of being. You usually don’t use them in continuous forms. For example, you say “I  believe  you” not “I  am believing  you.”

Linking Verbs

Linking verbs, on the other hand, include:

These verbs link the subject of a sentence to a subject complement. The complement gives more information about the subject. For instance, in “She  seems  tired,”  seems  is a linking verb.

A common linking verb is  to be  in its different forms. Examples:

• “He  is  a teacher.”
• “They  were  happy.”

Practice Exercises with Answers

To master stative verbs, you need to practice. Below are some exercises to help you.

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Form

• My friend (is/are) very generous.
• She (knows/knowing) the answer.
• They (have/having) a car.
• I (see/seeing) a cat over there.
• He (run/runs) every morning.
• We (was/were) at the park yesterday.
• The children (play/plays) in the garden.
• She (write/writes) letters to her friends.
• You (need/needing) to finish your homework.
• The dog (bark/barks) loudly.
• My friend is very generous.
• She knows the answer.
• They have a car.
• I see a cat over there.
• He runs every morning.
• We were at the park yesterday.
• The children play in the garden.
• She writes letters to her friends.
• You need to finish your homework.
• The dog barks loudly.

Exercise 2: Fill in the Blanks

• I always __________ (prefer) tea to coffee.
• This soup __________ (taste) delicious.
• The flower __________ (smell) nice.
• We __________ (believe) in you.
• She __________ (enjoy) reading books in her free time.
• They __________ (need) your help with the project.
• He __________ (like) to play the piano every evening.
• The cat __________ (sleep) on the sofa.
• The sun __________ (shine) brightly today.
• You __________ (look) great in that dress.
• I always prefer tea to coffee.
• This soup tastes delicious.
• The flower smells nice.
• We believe in you.
• She enjoys reading books in her free time.
• They need your help with the project.
• He likes to play the piano every evening.
• The cat sleeps on the sofa.
• The sun shines brightly today.
• You look great in that dress.

Exercise 3: True or False

• “I am knowing the answer” is correct.
• “She likes ice cream” uses a stative verb.
• “They are having fun” is correct.
• “He believes in fairness” uses a stative verb.
• “I am seeing the doctor tomorrow” is correct.
• “The soup is tasting delicious” is correct.
• “She understands the problem” uses a stative verb.
• “We are preferring tea to coffee” is correct.
• “You seem tired” uses a stative verb.
• “He is being happy today” is correct.

Reviewing and practicing these exercises will improve your grasp of stative verbs.

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Definition of 'visit'

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Arlington National Cemetery officials confirm an 'incident' during Trump's visit

Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday confirmed an incident took place when former President Donald Trump visited there Monday to commemorate the third anniversary of the Abbey Gate attacks in Afghanistan.

"We can confirm there was an incident, and a report was filed," the statement read.

“Federal law prohibits political campaign or election-related activities within Army National Military Cemeteries, to include photographers, content creators or any other persons attending for purposes, or in direct support of a partisan political candidate’s campaign,” said the cemetery in the Virginia suburbs of Washington. “Arlington National Cemetery reinforced and widely shared this law and its prohibitions with all participants.”

Trump participated in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier on Monday, marking the third anniversary of the deaths of 13 U.S. service members in an attack by the Islamic State outside the Kabul airport in Afghanistan. More than 150 Afghans were also killed. Parents of fallen service members have expressed anger at President Joe Biden's administration for a lack of answers surrounding the attack.

After the ceremony, Trump headed to Section 60 of the cemetery, where some service members killed in Afghanistan and Iraq are buried and recording is typically heavily restricted.

NPR first reported Tuesday that two Trump campaign staffers had a confrontation with a cemetery official who tried to prevent them from filming.

Trump communications director Steven Cheung denied some of the details of the report and said the campaign was willing to release footage to support its claim.

“There was no physical altercation as described and we are prepared to release footage if such defamatory claims are made,” Cheung said in a statement. “The fact is that a private photographer was permitted on the premises and for whatever reason an unnamed individual, clearly suffering from a mental health episode, decided to physically block members of President Trump’s team during a very solemn ceremony.”

Cheung followed up in a statement on X , saying Trump was allowed to have a photographer there.

Trump co-campaign manager Chris LaCivita posted a video on x that showed Trump laying flowers at a gravesite.

In a statement, he said a “despicable individual” physically prevented Trump’s team from accompanying him to the event.

“For a despicable individual to physically prevent President Trump’s team from accompanying him to this solemn event is a disgrace and does not deserve to represent the hollowed grounds of Arlington National Cemetery,” LaCivita said. "Whoever this individual is spreading these lies are dishonoring the men and women of our armed forces, and they are disrespecting everyone who paid the price for defending our country.”

LaCivita claimed that Trump was at Section 60 at the invitation of Abbey Gate Gold Star families “to honor their loved ones who gave the ultimate sacrifice for their country.”

In an interview with NBC News on Wednesday, LaCivita claimed that a "nameless bureaucrat at Arlington whose job it is to preserve the dignity of the cemetery is doing the complete opposite in trying to make what was a very solemn and respectful event into something it was not."

Trump generated controversy this month when said this month that the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a civilian award, was "better" than the top military award, the Medal of Honor, because those who receive the latter are often dead or injured.

Trump has previously faced scrutiny over a 2020 report in The Atlantic, which former White House chief of staff John Kelly later confirmed , that he made disparaging remarks about fallen soldiers, calling them "suckers" and "losers." Trump has denied the allegation .

Courtney Kube is a correspondent covering national security and the military for the NBC News Investigative Unit.

Jake Traylor is a 2024 NBC News campaign embed.

Raquel Coronell Uribe is a breaking news reporter.