A given
Meaning
Something that is accepted as true or certain to happen, without needing to be proven or discussed.
Origin
Imagine a mathematician poised over a complex problem, or a philosopher meticulously building an argument. Both would begin with "a given"—a fundamental fact, an initial condition, or an undisputed premise already "given" to them, requiring no further proof. This wasn't merely a concept; it was a stipulated truth upon which all further reasoning depended. From these rigorous intellectual foundations, where "a given" signified an unquestioned starting point, the phrase gracefully migrated into general English. It became the perfect shorthand for anything so inherently obvious, so universally accepted, or so utterly inevitable that it needs no discussion, carrying with it a subtle echo of its precise, logical past into the casual flow of modern conversation.
Examples
- It's a given that you'll need to work hard if you want to succeed in this competitive field.
- For them, annual family vacations were a given, an unquestioned tradition they looked forward to every year.