English Phrase of the Day

have got

Definitions

English > English
have got
1. v. (modal, idiomatic, with infinitive) To be obliged or obligated; must, have to, got to
I've got to do my homework.
2. v. (modal, with infinitive) Used to express necessity or a high degree of certainty; must, have to, got to
It has got to be true, it's a syllogism.
My luck has got to change.
3. v. (transitive, idiomatic, chiefly UK) To have, own or possess.
I've got a house in the country.
She's got three children. One boy and two girls.
4. v. (transitive, idiomatic) To have (a future engagement).
I can't stay: I've got school tomorrow morning.
Analysis
have
Additional archaic forms are second-person singular present tense hast, third-person singular present tense hath, present participle haveing, and second-person singular past tense hadst.
1. v. To possess, own, hold.
I have a house and a car.
Look what I have here — a frog I found on the street!
2. v. To be related in some way to (with the object identifying the relationship).
got
1. v. simple past tense of get
We got the last bus home.
2. v. (British, Australian, NZ) past participle of get
By that time we'd got very cold.
I've got two children.
get
1. v. (ditransitive) To obtain; to acquire.
I'm going to get a computer tomorrow from the discount store.
Lance is going to get Mary a ring.
2. v. To receive.
I got a computer from my parents for my birthday.

But people have got to know the benefits.

You have got to have some humanity in there.

Now I think hopefully we have got one.

I know we could and would have got her out of this dire situation had we been told.

Both of us have got a thing about islands.

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