offering

of·fer·ing
O1F4F4E1R1I1N1G2
UK, UK/ˈɒfəɹɪŋ/British, Southern, Standard, UK/ˈɔfəɹɪŋ/Midlands, Northern England, UK/ˈɒfəɹɪŋɡ/UK, Wales/ˈɒfəɾɪŋ/

noun

The act by which something is offered.

“votive offerings”

Very commonScrabble 15

Meanings

nounoffering (plural offerings)

plural offerings

  1. gerund of offer
    1. The act by which something is offered.
    2. That which has been offered; a sacrifice.

      votive offerings

      1 more example

      These are the bookstores' latest offerings.

    3. An oblation or presentation made as a religious act.
      1 more example

      In many ways an ancient well-established situation is in Place: a dead military hero has reappeared as a ghost bringing trouble and even death to the officials who come to administer the Hsiang-chou prefecture at An-yang; they build a temple in his honour and make him regular offerings of bloody food; he then protects and supports the administrators who are responsible.

      1995, Glen Dudbridge, Religious Experience and Lay Society in T'ang China: a reading of Tai Fu's Kuang-i chi, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 69–70
    4. A contribution given at a religious service.
    5. Something put forth, bid, proffered or tendered, such as for sale

      In recent seasons fetishwear has found its way onto the catwalk, with vinyl, PVC and lycra featuring among the most unlikely designer offerings.

      1996, Caryn Franklin, Franklin on fashion
      1 more example

      Ithaca is also a vibrant college town — home to Cornell University and Ithaca College — with more cultural offerings than its size would suggest, thanks in large part to the people those institutions attract.

      2025 June 26, Marnie Hunter, “This upstate New York town is a showstopper for scenery”, in CNN, archived from the original on 28 Jun 2025
verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of offer
    1 more example

    The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about […], or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing",[…]and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.

    2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsomething offered (as a proposal or bid)

Similar

nounthe verbal act of offering

Similar
Broader

nounthe act of contributing to the funds of a church or charity

Similar
Broader

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

From offer + -ing. Displaced native Old English hūsl.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek προσφορή
  • προσφορή (prosphorḗ)that which has been offered; a sacrifice
Arabic قُرْبَان, قُرْبَان
  • قُرْبَان (qurbān)that which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • قُرْبَان (qurbān)oblation or presentation made as a religious act
Bulgarian жертва, жертвоприношение
  • жертва (žertva)that which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • жертвоприношение (žertvoprinošenie)oblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • дарение (darenie)contribution given at a religious service
  • предлагане (predlagane)act of offering
Catalan oferiment, ofrena
  • oferimentthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • ofrenaoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • oferimentact of offering
Czech oběť, obětina
  • oběťthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • obětinathat which has been offered; a sacrifice
Esperanto ofero, ofero
  • oferothat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • oferooblation or presentation made as a religious act
Finnish tarjous, uhri
  • tarjousthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • uhrithat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • uhrilahjathat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • uhrausoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • uhraaminenoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • kolehticontribution given at a religious service
  • tarjoaminenact of offering
  • uhraaminenact of offering
French offrande, offrande
  • offrandethat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • offrandeoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • offreact of offering
German Opfer, Opfergabe
  • Opferthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • Opfergabeoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • Angebotact of offering
  • Anerbietenact of offering
Hebrew מִנְחָה
  • מִנְחָה (minḥá)that which has been offered; a sacrifice
Hindi बलिदान, बलि
  • बलिदान (balidān)that which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • बलि (bali)that which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • आहुति (āhuti)oblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • होम (hom)oblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • बलि (bali)oblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • सेवा (sevā)contribution given at a religious service
Irish ofráil, ofráil
  • ofráiloblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • ofráilcontribution given at a religious service
Japanese 供物, 供え物
  • 供物 (kumotsu)oblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • 供え物 (sonaemono)oblation or presentation made as a religious act
Latin oblātiō, oblātiō
  • oblātiōthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • oblātiōact of offering
Latvian upuris, upuris
  • upuristhat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • upurisoblation or presentation made as a religious act
Malay barang sembahyang
  • barang sembahyangoblation or presentation made as a religious act
Māori raupanga, whakareinga
  • raupangathat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • whakareingathat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • pitooblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • whakahereoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • raupangaoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • omakioblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • whakaherecontribution given at a religious service
Norwegian Bokmål ofring
  • ofringthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
Portuguese oferenda, oferecimento
  • oferendathat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • oferecimentoact of offering
  • ofertaact of offering
Romanian ofrandă
  • ofrandăoblation or presentation made as a religious act
Russian предложе́ние
  • предложе́ние (predložénije)act of offering
Scottish Gaelic ìobairt, ìobairt
  • ìobairtthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • ìobairtoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • ìobairtact of offering
Slovak obeť, obeta
  • obeťthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • obetathat which has been offered; a sacrifice
Spanish ofrecimiento, ofrenda
  • ofrecimientothat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • ofrendathat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • presentallathat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • ofrecimientoact of offering
Swahili toleo, toleo
  • toleothat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • toleooblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • toleocontribution given at a religious service
  • toleoact of offering
Turkish kurban, sunu
  • kurbanthat which has been offered; a sacrifice
  • sunuoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • adakoblation or presentation made as a religious act
  • sunuşact of offering
  • sunmaact of offering
  • takdimact of offering
Cite this entry
APA

offering. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/offering

MLA

“offering.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/offering. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “offering,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/offering.

Source: offering on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.