Gift

Template:Wiktionary This page is about gifts in the common English-language sense. For other uses, see Gift (disambiguation).


A gift or present is the transfer of money, goods, etc., without the direct compensation that is involved in trade, although possibly involving a social expectation of reciprocity, or a return in the form of prestige or power. In many human societies, the act of mutually exchanging gifts contributes to social cohesion. Economists have elaborated the economics of gift-giving into the notion of a gift economy.

By extension the term gift can refer to anything that makes the other more happy or less sad, especially as a favor, including forgiveness, and kindness (even when the other is not kind).

The background may be:

A gift can also be a special talent or ability that was not earned through the usual amount of long and difficult practice but instead comes easily to the recipient in a natural way. A person with such a gift is said to be "a natural" or "gifted" in that field of endeavor. A gift, in this sense, can be thought of as being given by God or by nature: a God-given or natural gift received by one at birth. For example, a fluent and entertaining speaker is said to have "the gift of gab".

See also

Further reading

  • Marcel Mauss and W.D. Halls, Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies, W. W. Norton, 2000, trade paperback, ISBN 039332043X

External link


Topics related to charity (list of charities):
Philanthropy | Alms | Tzedakah | Zakat | Altruism | Gift | Donation
Non-government organisation | Registered charity, Charitable trust | Foundation | Non-profit organization | Not-for-profit corporation
Volunteer | Philanthropist

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