grant

Etymology

From Middle English granten, graunten, grantien, grauntien, from Anglo-Norman granter, graunter, from Old French granter, graunter, graanter, greanter (“to promise, assure, guarantee, confirm, ratify”), from a merger of Old French garantir, guarantir (“to guarantee, assure, vouch for”) (see English guarantee) and earlier cranter, craanter, creanter (“to allow, permit”), from an assumed Medieval Latin *credentāre, from Latin credere (“to believe, trust”). More at guarantee, credit.

verb

1. (ditransitive) to give (permission or wish)
   He was granted permission to attend the meeting.
   The genie granted him three wishes
2. (ditransitive) To bestow or confer, with or without compensation, particularly in answer to prayer or request; to give.
   God, grant me the serenity... in w:Serenity Prayer
   He Suſpends on theſe Reaſons, that Thomas Rue had granted a general Diſcharge to Adam Muſhet, who was his Conjunct, and correus debendi, after the alleadged Service, which Diſcharged Muſhet, and conſequently Houstoun his Partner. 1668 July 3, James Dalrymple, “Thomas Rue contra Andrew Houſtoun” in The Deciſions of the Lords of Council & Seſſion I (Edinburgh, 1683), page 548
   In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. The welfare state is dismantled. […] 2013-05-17, George Monbiot, “Money just makes the rich suffer”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 23, page 19
3. (transitive) To agree with (someone) on (something); to accept (something) for the sake of argument; to admit to (someone) that (something) is true.
   The universe exists, said the father: somebody must have made it. If that somebody exists, said I, somebody must have made him. I grant that for the sake of argument, said the Oratorian. a. 1921, George Bernard Shaw, Back to Methuselah, Preface ("The Infidel Half Century"), section "In Quest of the First Cause"
   "They are tall, certainly," said Sir Chetwynd... "I grant you they are tall. That is, the majority of them are. But I have seen short men among them. The Khedive is not taller than I am. And the Egyptian face is very deceptive. The features are often fine,—occasionally classic,—but intelligent expression is totally lacking." 1897, Marie Corelli, “Chapter I”, in Ziska: The Problem of a Wicked Soul, New York: Stone & Kimball, pages 23–24
4. (intransitive) To assent; to consent.

noun

1. The act of granting; a bestowing or conferring; concession; allowance; permission.
2. The yielding or admission of something in dispute.
3. The thing or property granted; a gift; a boon.
   I got a grant from the government to study archeology in Egypt.
4. (law) A transfer of property by deed or writing; especially, an appropriation or conveyance made by the government.
   a grant of land or of money
5. The deed or writing by which such a transfer is made.
6. (informal) An application for a grant (monetary boon to aid research or the like).