canned

American  

[kand] / kænd /

adjective

1. preserved in a can or jar.

   canned peaches.

2. Informal. recorded.

   canned music.

3. Informal. prepared in advance.

   a canned speech.

4. Slang. drunk.

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canned British  

/ kænd /

adjective

1. preserved and stored in airtight cans or tins

   canned meat

2. informal prepared or recorded in advance; artificial; not spontaneous

   canned music

3. a slang word for drunk

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Other Word Forms

• uncanned
  adjective
• well-canned
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of canned

First recorded in 1855–60; can ² + -ed ²

Explanation

Anything canned is stored in a jar or can. It’s usually food, but prerecorded music is also canned. And, if you get fired from a job, you’ve been canned. Don’t cry, though, it’s better than being stuck in a jar. When someone talks about "canned goods," they mean all the food you can buy that comes in a can, like canned green beans and canned pineapple. Home-preserved food is also canned, even if it's in a glass jar. This adjective takes on a derogatory slant when it describes music that's recorded rather than played live, or an answer that sounds prepared rather than real.

Example Sentences

And it will lower tariffs on more products, and give duty-free access to pasta, chocolate, potatoes, canned peaches, eggs and certain poultry products.

From Barron's • May 22, 2026

Someone probably tried to deliver a canned history of the actual Arc de Triomphe to Trump at some point.

From Salon • May 3, 2026

“We grew up with not a lot of means,” he said, recalling his mother’s magical ability “to whip up a whole meal with just canned tuna or cheese sandwiches.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026

Longer-life products such as canned goods or cereals are used to help stock the school's community cupboard.

From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026

He gathered mounds of fried potatoes, canned sweet corn, and Spam with Nali’s fresh tortillas.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• bottled