Meet vs. Met: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Meet" is the present tense form, used for current or future actions (e.g., "We will meet tomorrow"), whereas "Met" is the past tense and past participle form, referring to past actions (e.g., "We met yesterday").
Key Differences
"Meet" is a verb in the present tense, often used to describe the action of coming into the presence of someone or encountering something for the first time or on a scheduled basis. For instance, "I will meet my friend at the cafe." In contrast, "Met" is the simple past tense and past participle form of "meet," indicating an action that has already occurred. An example is, "I met my teacher at the conference last week."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
In usage, "meet" implies an action that is planned or is going to happen. It suggests a future or ongoing event, as in, "They meet every Thursday for lunch." Conversely, "met" is retrospective, referring to events that have already taken place. It is used when recalling or reporting past events, like in the sentence, "They met at a party five years ago."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
Grammatically, "meet" can also function as an imperative, giving a command or instruction. For example, "Meet me at 5 PM." On the other hand, "met" cannot be used in this way, as it is not in the imperative form. It is exclusively used in past tense narrative forms, such as, "We met at the designated spot as planned."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
"Meet" can be used in various grammatical constructions like the present continuous or future tense, indicating ongoing or upcoming actions, e.g., "I am meeting him tomorrow." In contrast, "met" is limited to past tense constructions and is often seen in perfect tenses, e.g., "I had met her before the event."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
In summary, "meet" is versatile in its present tense usage, accommodating various aspects of an upcoming or ongoing encounter, whereas "met" is specific to past actions, encapsulating completed meetings or encounters in its usage.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Flexibility in Usage
Used in present, continuous, future
Limited to past tense constructions
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Nov 15, 2023
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Meet and Met Definitions
Meet
To come into contact or conjunction with.
I'll meet you at the corner of the street.
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Nov 15, 2023
Met
Came into the presence of someone.
I met my cousin at the family reunion.
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Nov 15, 2023
Meet
To come together for a common purpose.
The committee will meet next Tuesday.
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Nov 15, 2023
Met
Encountered or experienced an event or situation.
They met with heavy traffic on the way.
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Nov 15, 2023
Meet
To come into the presence of by chance or arrangement
I was surprised to meet an old friend in the park. I met a friend for coffee.
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Oct 19, 2023
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Met
Made the acquaintance of someone for the first time.
He met his future wife at college.
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Nov 15, 2023
Met
Reached a particular point or standard.
The product met our expectations.
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Nov 15, 2023
Meet
To come together or confront in opposition
The rival teams meet next week.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come into conjunction with; join or touch
Where the road meets the highway.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come into conformity with the views, wishes, or opinions of
The firm has done its best to meet us on that point.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come to the notice of (the senses)
There is more here than meets the eye.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To experience or undergo
He met his fate with courage. The project has met a setback.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To be sufficient for (a need, for example); fulfill
Meet all the conditions in the contract.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To deal or contend with effectively
We can meet each problem as it arises.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come together
Didn't recognize him when we met. Where should we meet for lunch?.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To occur together, especially in one person or entity
Suspense and intrigue meet in this new movie.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Fitting; proper
"It seems not meet, nor wholesome to my place" (Shakespeare).
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come face to face with by accident; to encounter.
Fancy meeting you here! Guess who I met at the supermarket today?
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come face to face with someone by arrangement.
Let's meet at the station at 9 o'clock.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To get acquainted with someone.
I'm pleased to meet you! I'd like you to meet a colleague of mine.
I met my husband through a mutual friend at a party. It wasn't love at first sight; in fact, we couldn't stand each other at first!
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To gather for a formal or social discussion; to hold a meeting.
I met with them several times. The government ministers met today to start the negotiations.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To converge and finally touch or intersect.
The two streets meet at a crossroad half a mile away.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To touch or hit something while moving.
The right wing of the car met the column in the garage, leaving a dent.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To adjoin, be physically touching.
The carpet meets the wall at this side of the room. The forest meets the sea along this part of the coast.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
(transitive) To respond to (an argument etc.) with something equally convincing; to refute.
He met every objection to the trip with another reason I should go.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To satisfy; to comply with.
This proposal meets my requirements. The company agrees to meet the cost of any repairs.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To perceive; to come to a knowledge of; to have personal acquaintance with; to experience; to suffer.
The eye met a horrid sight. He met his fate.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
(sports) A sports competition, especially for track and field or swimming.
Track meet
Swim meet
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
(hunting) A gathering of riders, horses and hounds for foxhunting; a field meet for hunting.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
(rail transport) A meeting of two trains in opposite directions on a single track, when one is put into a siding to let the other cross.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
(algebra) The greatest lower bound, an operation between pairs of elements in a lattice, denoted by the symbol ∧.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To join, or come in contact with; esp., to come in contact with by approach from an opposite direction; to come upon or against, front to front, as distinguished from contact by following and overtaking.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come in collision with; to confront in conflict; to encounter hostilely; as, they met the enemy and defeated them; the ship met opposing winds and currents.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come into the presence of without contact; to come close to; to intercept; to come within the perception, influence, or recognition of; as, to meet a train at a junction; to meet carriages or persons in the street; to meet friends at a party; sweet sounds met the ear.
His daughter came out to meet him.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To perceive; to come to a knowledge of; to have personal acquaintance with; to experience; to suffer; as, the eye met a horrid sight; he met his fate.
Of vice or virtue, whether blest or curst,Which meets contempt, or which compassion first.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come up to; to be even with; to equal; to match; to satisfy; to ansver; as, to meet one's expectations; the supply meets the demand.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come together by mutual approach; esp., to come in contact, or into proximity, by approach from opposite directions; to join; to come face to face; to come in close relationship; as, we met in the street; two lines meet so as to form an angle.
O, when meet nowSuch pairs in love and mutual honor joined !
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come together with hostile purpose; to have an encounter or conflict.
Weapons more violent, when next we meet,May serve to better us and worse our foes.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To assemble together; to congregate; as, Congress meets on the first Monday of December.
They . . . appointed a day to meet together.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To come together by mutual concessions; hence, to agree; to harmonize; to unite.
We met with many things worthy of observation.
Prepare to meet with more than brutal furyFrom the fierce prince.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
An assembling together; esp., the assembling of huntsmen for the hunt; also, the persons who so assemble, and the place of meeting.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Suitable; fit; proper; appropriate; qualified; convenient.
It was meet that we should make merry.
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Come together;
I'll probably see you at the meeting
How nice to see you again!
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Satisfy a condition or restriction;
Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Get to know; get acquainted with;
I met this really handsome guy at a bar last night!
We met in Singapore
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Collect in one place;
We assembled in the church basement
Let's gather in the dining room
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Meet by design; be present at the arrival of;
Can you meet me at the train station?
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Contend against an opponent in a sport, game, or battle;
Princeton plays Yale this weekend
Charlie likes to play Mary
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Be in direct physical contact with; make contact;
The two buildings touch
Their hands touched
The wire must not contact the metal cover
The surfaces contact at this point
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
Being precisely fitting and right;
It is only meet that she should be seated first
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Oct 19, 2023
Meet
To face or encounter something.
He will meet many challenges in his new role.
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Nov 15, 2023
Meet
To be introduced to someone for the first time.
She is excited to meet her favorite author.
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Nov 15, 2023
Repeatedly Asked Queries
How is "met" used in a sentence?
As the past tense, e.g., "We met at the park."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
What is the basic meaning of "meet"?
To encounter or come into contact with someone or something.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
Can "meet" be used for future events?
Yes, it can indicate future meetings.
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Nov 15, 2023
How does "meet" function in continuous tense?
As an ongoing action, e.g., "Meeting now."
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Nov 15, 2023
Is "meet" appropriate for casual encounters?
Yes, it's used in both formal and casual contexts.
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Nov 15, 2023
What is an example of "met" in past continuous?
"They were meeting when it happened."
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Nov 15, 2023
What does "meet" imply in business contexts?
It implies arranging a professional encounter.
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Nov 15, 2023
How does "met" relate to past experiences?
It refers to past encounters or introductions.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
Does "meet" have a synonym in the context of encountering?
Yes, like "encounter" or "come across."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
Does "meet" have different meanings in social vs. professional settings?
Yes, it can imply different types of encounters.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
Can "met" imply a successful encounter?
Yes, as in successfully meeting someone or something.
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Nov 15, 2023
How does "met" differ from "meeting" in tense?
"Met" is past, "meeting" is present or future.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
Can "meet" mean fulfilling criteria?
Yes, as in meeting standards or requirements.
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 15, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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