Grace vs. Gift — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on October 26, 2023
Grace refers to elegance, kindness, or a divine favor; a gift is a present given without expectation of return.
Difference Between Grace and Gift
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Grace often implies a sense of elegance, poise, or smoothness, often observed in movement or behavior. It also denotes an unearned favor, especially of a divine nature. Gift, on the other hand, is a tangible or intangible item given to someone without expecting anything in return. It represents a transfer of something without the need for compensation.
In religious contexts, grace is seen as a benevolent gift from a divine source, often associated with mercy or forgiveness that one doesn’t deserve. In contrast, a gift in the same context is a physical or spiritual blessing provided by a deity, typically as a sign of favor or reward.
Grace can also refer to a temporary reprieve or a period granted before an obligation. It is intangible, often referring to abstract concepts like time or forgiveness. Conversely, a gift, while it can be abstract, is more commonly understood as a physical object or a skill given to someone.
In societal interactions, grace is how one carries themselves or handles situations, often linked to politeness, tact, or diplomacy. A gift in social terms is an item or service given to express gratitude, love, or to honor a special occasion.
Grace as a concept also ties into the idea of gracefulness in the arts, like dance or gymnastics, highlighting fluidity and elegance. A gift in the arts might refer to a natural talent or a physical item provided to support the art, like a musical instrument.
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Comparison Chart
Nature
Often intangible
Usually tangible
Context
Can be divine favor or elegance
Physical or intangible item given
Expectation
Not expected, often unearned
No expectation of return
Usage
Can describe demeanor or reprieve
Often a present or talent
Connotation
Elegance, forgiveness, reprieve
Generosity, talent, offering
Compare with Definitions
Grace
Elegance in Movement
Her dance was full of grace.
Gift
Present
She received a beautiful necklace as a gift.
Grace
Courtesy
She handled the situation with grace.
Gift
Act of Giving
Giving to the needy is a gift from the heart.
Grace
Natural Talent
His skill at the piano was a natural grace.
Gift
Token of Appreciation
He sent flowers as a gift of thanks.
Grace
Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion.
Gift
Talent
Her voice is truly a gift.
Grace
A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement.
Gift
Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.
Grace
A sense of fitness or propriety.
Gift
Natural Ability
His gift for languages was remarkable.
Grace
A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill.
Gift
A gift or a present is an item given to someone without the expectation of payment or anything in return. An item is not a gift if that item is already owned by the one to whom it is given.
Grace
Mercy; clemency.
Gift
Something that is bestowed voluntarily and without compensation
I received several gifts for my birthday. Your gift of $100 is greatly appreciated.
Grace
A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.
Gift
The act of giving
The painting came into their possession by gift.
Grace
A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve.
Gift
A talent, endowment, aptitude, or inclination
She has a gift for playing the piano.
Grace
Graces Greek & Roman Mythology Three sister goddesses, known in Greek mythology as Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, who dispense charm and beauty.
Gift
To present something as a gift to
Gifted his niece with a watch.
Grace
Divine favor bestowed freely on people, as in granting redemption from sin.
Gift
To give as a gift
"King Charles II ... had gifted the land of Carolina to certain members of his court" (Marilyn Yalom).
Grace
The state of having received such favor.
Gift
To endow with
Nature has gifted her with a fine voice.
Grace
An excellence or power granted by God.
Gift
A talent or natural ability.
She had a gift for playing the flute.
Grace
A short prayer of blessing or thanksgiving said before or after a meal.
Gift
Something gained incidentally, without effort.
Grace
Grace Used with His, Her, or Your as a title and form of address for a duke, duchess, or archbishop.
Gift
The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing.
The office is in the gift of the President.
Grace
(Music) An appoggiatura, trill, or other musical ornament in the music of 16th and 17th century England.
Gift
(transitive) To give as a gift or donation.
Grace
To honor or favor
You grace our table with your presence.
Gift
(transitive) To give away, to concede easily.
Grace
To give beauty, elegance, or charm to.
Gift
Anything given; anything voluntarily transferred by one person to another without compensation; a present; an offering.
Shall I receive by gift, what of my own, . . .I can command ?
Grace
(Music) To embellish with grace notes.
Gift
The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing; as, the office is in the gift of the President.
Grace
Charming, pleasing qualities.
The Princess brought grace to an otherwise dull and boring party.
Gift
A bribe; anything given to corrupt.
Neither take a gift, for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise.
Grace
(countable) A short prayer of thanks before or after a meal.
It has become less common to say grace before having dinner.
Gift
Some exceptional inborn quality or characteristic; a striking or special talent or aptitude; power; faculty; as, the gift of wit; a gift for speaking.
Grace
In the games of patience or solitaire: a special move that is normally against the rules.
Gift
A voluntary transfer of real or personal property, without any consideration. It can be perfected only by deed, or in case of personal property, by an actual delivery of possession.
Grace
A grace note.
Gift
To endow with some power or faculty. See gift{4}.
He was gifted . . . with philosophical sagacity.
Grace
(uncountable) Elegant movement; balance or poise.
The dancer moved with grace and strength.
Gift
Something acquired without compensation
Grace
An allowance of time granted to a debtor during which he or she is free of at least part of his normal obligations towards the creditor.
The repayment of the loan starts after a three-year grace.
Gift
Natural qualities or talents
Grace
Free and undeserved favour, especially of God; unmerited divine assistance given to humans for their regeneration or sanctification, or for resisting sin.
Gift
The act of giving
Grace
An act or decree of the governing body of an English university.
Gift
Give qualities or abilities to
Grace
(transitive) To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.
He graced the room with his presence.
He graced the room by simply being there.
His portrait graced a landing on the stairway.
Gift
Give as a present; make a gift of;
What will you give her for her birthday?
Grace
(transitive) To dignify or raise by an act of favour; to honour.
Grace
(transitive) To supply with heavenly grace.
Grace
To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.
Grace
The exercise of love, kindness, mercy, favor; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred.
To bow and sue for graceWith suppliant knee.
Grace
The divine favor toward man; the mercy of God, as distinguished from His justice; also, any benefits His mercy imparts; divine love or pardon; a state of acceptance with God; enjoyment of the divine favor.
And if by grace, then is it no more of works.
My grace is sufficicnt for thee.
Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand.
Grace
The prerogative of mercy execised by the executive, as pardon.
Grace
Fortune; luck; - used commonly with hard or sorry when it means misfortune.
Grace
Inherent excellence; any endowment or characteristic fitted to win favor or confer pleasure or benefit.
He is complete in feature and in mind.With all good grace to grace a gentleman.
I have formerly given the general character of Mr. Addison's style and manner as natural and unaffected, easy and polite, and full of those graces which a flowery imagination diffuses over writing.
Grace
Beauty, physical, intellectual, or moral; loveliness; commonly, easy elegance of manners; perfection of form.
Grace in women gains the affections sooner, and secures them longer, than any thing else.
I shall answer and thank you again For the gift and the grace of the gift.
Grace
Graceful and beautiful females, sister goddesses, represented by ancient writers as the attendants sometimes of Apollo but oftener of Venus. They were commonly mentioned as three in number; namely, Aglaia, Euphrosyne, and Thalia, and were regarded as the inspirers of the qualities which give attractiveness to wisdom, love, and social intercourse.
The Graces love to weave the rose.
The Loves delighted, and the Graces played.
Grace
The title of a duke, a duchess, or an archbishop, and formerly of the king of England.
How fares your Grace !
Grace
Thanks.
Yielding graces and thankings to their lord Melibeus.
Grace
A petition for grace; a blessing asked, or thanks rendered, before or after a meal.
Grace
Ornamental notes or short passages, either introduced by the performer, or indicated by the composer, in which case the notation signs are called grace notes, appeggiaturas, turns, etc.
Grace
An act, vote, or decree of the government of the institution; a degree or privilege conferred by such vote or decree.
Grace
A play designed to promote or display grace of motion. It consists in throwing a small hoop from one player to another, by means of two sticks in the hands of each. Called also grace hoop or hoops.
That day of grace fleets fast away.
The grace cup follows to his sovereign's health.
To [Queen Margaret, of Scotland] . . . we owe the custom of the grace drink, she having established it as a rule at her table, that whosoever staid till grace was said was rewarded with a bumper.
Content to do the profession some grace.
What might have been done with a good grace would at leastbe done with a bad grace.
Grace
To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify.
Great Jove and Phoebus graced his noble line.
We are graced with wreaths of victory.
Grace
To dignify or raise by an act of favor; to honor.
He might, at his pleasure, grace or disgrace whom he wouldin court.
Grace
To supply with heavenly grace.
Grace
To add grace notes, cadenzas, etc., to.
Grace
(Bhristian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who under such divine influence;
The conception of grace developed alongside the conception of sin
It was debated whether saving grace could be obtained outside the membership of the church
The Virgin lived in a state of grace
Grace
Elegance and beauty of movement or expression
Grace
A sense of propriety and consideration for others
Grace
A disposition to kindness and compassion; benign good will;
The victor's grace in treating the vanquished
Grace
(Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors
Grace
A short prayer of thanks before a meal
Grace
(Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God;
God's grace is manifested in the salvation of sinners
There but for the grace of God go I
Grace
Make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.;
Decorate the room for the party
Beautify yourself for the special day
Grace
Be beautiful to look at;
Flowers adorned the tables everywhere
Grace
Divine Favor
They believed their survival was due to divine grace.
Grace
Reprieve
The bank gave them a grace period to repay the loan.
Common Curiosities
How is grace used in a social context?
In social situations, grace often refers to courteous and elegant behavior.
What is a gift?
A gift is something given without expectation of return; it can be tangible or intangible.
What is grace?
Grace can refer to elegance, a divine favor, or a period of reprieve.
Can grace be earned?
Grace is often considered unearned, especially in religious contexts.
Is grace always positive?
Generally, yes. It's associated with positive attributes like kindness and elegance.
Is a gift always physical?
No, gifts can be intangible, like skills or talents.
Can grace be a talent?
Yes, grace can refer to a natural elegance or talent, especially in arts.
Can grace be lost?
In certain contexts, yes. One can lose grace by acting inappropriately.
Do gifts always bring happiness?
Generally, yes, but sometimes gifts can be inappropriate or unwelcome.
What does it mean to give a gift?
It means to present something to someone without expecting anything in return.
Can a gift be an action?
Yes, actions like helping or volunteering can be considered gifts.
How does grace differ in religious contexts?
In religion, grace often implies a divine favor or mercy that's not deserved.
Can businesses offer gifts?
Yes, businesses often give gifts as promotional items or tokens of appreciation.
Is grace inherent or learned?
some people are naturally graceful, while others learn it.
Are all gifts free?
While gifts are generally free, sometimes there might be an expectation of reciprocity.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
