noun
Etymology: Middle English present tens
: the tense of a verb that expresses action or state in the present time and is used of what occurs or is true at the time of speaking (as in “I am in a hurry” or “he is singing”) and of what is habitual or characteristic (as in “he pays his debts” or “he dresses well”) or is always or necessarily true (as in “the sun shines by day” or “a straight line is the shortest distance”), that is sometimes used to refer to action in the past (as in the historical present), and that is sometimes used for future events (as in “Christmas falls on Friday next year”)