This post will help you understand how to use 'having' in a sentence. Having is a present participle of have and can be used for different purposes. To possess or contain as a constituent part: a car that has air bags. 2. To occupy a particular relation to: had many disciples. 3. To possess knowledge of or facility in: has very little Spanish. 4. To hold in the mind; entertain: had doubts about their loyalty. 5. To use or exhibit in action: have compassion. 6. a. HAVING definition: to be in material possession of; own | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples The word having is the present participle form of the verb “have,” used to describe possessing, holding, or experiencing something. For example, you might say, “She is having a great time at the party,” which means she is experiencing enjoyment at the party. Noun having (countable and uncountable, plural havings) The act of possessing; ownership. Meaning of having in English having present participle of have (Definition of having from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press) Correct spelling, explanation: having is a derivative of the verb have. To create a present participle/gerund, one must add the regular suffix -ing to the end of this word – the general rule is to add -ing to the verb. When do you use “have” and when is “having” correct? In this easy-to-follow English grammar lesson, I’ll show you how to use both forms correctly and naturally. In general, we use “having” when we want to emphasize an ongoing state, a prior completed action, or an action treated as a concept rather than an event. Choosing “having” instead of “have” often depends on whether the speaker wants to highlight duration, cause, or experience. Have they got a new car? We've got things to do. Noun a society that discriminates between the haves and the have-nots. Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.