preowned

American  

[pree-ohnd] / priˈoʊnd /

Or pre-owned

adjective

1. previously owned; used; secondhand.

   a sale of preowned furs.

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preowned British  

/ ˌpriːˈəʊnd /

adjective

1. euphemistic already used; second-hand

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Usage

What does preowned mean? Preowned refers to something that has been previously owned by someone else or has already had at least one previous owner. Preowned is sometimes spelled pre-owned. Preowned is a euphemism, which is a milder way to say something to make it less harsh or blunt. Preowned is typically used to describe something for sale to avoid calling it used or secondhand. A nicer way to say something was owned previously is to call it preloved. Example: I couldn’t afford a new car so I bought a preowned one.

Etymology

Origin of preowned

First recorded in 1960–65; pre- + own + -ed ²

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

preowned

One strategy may be more aggressively marketing preowned hardware themselves, rather than leaving the field to proselytizers like Back Market.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026

Bernstein says preowned devices from your wireless carrier are the next best option.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

The auto maker didn’t respond to a request for comment about its preowned Cybertruck inventory.

From Barron's ● Jun. 3, 2026

Smead described eBay as “the New York Stock Exchange of preowned items,” raking in ‘‘loads of money” from transaction fees.

From Barron's ● May 6, 2026

That’s what everybody said as they flashed warm smiles and showed us their preowned clothing, Christmas decorations, jewelry, and whatnots.

From "March Forward, Girl" by Melba Pattillo Beals

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