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The Meaning of is is

Michael Arrington ‘is contemplating the meaning of “is”.‘ As per a recent Facebook message change (that has now been changed back).

This issue of the meaning of “is” seems to be a recurring problem in our society. You might recall this statement by former President Clinton:

“It depends on what the meaning of the words ‘is’ is.”Bill Clinton, during his 1998 grand jury testimony on the Monica Lewinsky affair 

Dictionary.com says it’s this:
–verb 1. 3rd pers. sing. pres. indic. of be. 
—Idiom2. as is. as1 (def. 25). 

[Origin: bef. 900; ME, OE; c. D is, ON es, er, G, Goth ist, L est, Gk estí, OCS jestĭ, Skt asti]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.

Why is the meaning of “is” such a frequent area of discussion?

2 thoughts on “The Meaning of is is

  1. […] FACTnet : Cult Information Hub, Victim Recovery, Resources, Legal wrote an interesting post today!.Here’s a quick excerpt Michael Arrington ‘is contemplating the meaning of “is”.‘ As per a recent Facebook message change (that has now been changed back). This issue of the meaning of “is” seems to be a recurring problem in our society. You might recall this statement by former President Clinton: “It depends on what the meaning of the words ‘is’ is.” –Bill Clinton, during his 1998 grand jury testimony on the Monica Lewinsky affair  Dictionary.com says it’s this: –verb 1. 3rd pers. sing. pres. indic. of be.  —Idi […]

  2. Tim is glad the ‘is’ is going away.

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