Jump To:

• ed
  ed

  noun

  education.
• Ed
  Ed

  noun

  a male given name, form of Edgar or Edward.
• ED
  ED

  Department of Education.
• -ed
  -ed

  a suffix forming the past tense of weak verbs.
• ed.
  ed.

  abbreviation

  edited.
• E.D.
  E.D.

  abbreviation

  Eastern Department.

ed

¹ American  

[ed] / ɛd /

noun

Informal.

1. education.

   a course in driver's ed; adult ed.

---

Ed ² American  

[ed] / ɛd /

noun

1. a male given name, form of Edgar or Edward.

---

ED ³ American  

1. Department of Education.

2. Pathology. erectile dysfunction.

---

-ed ⁴ American  

1. a suffix forming the past tense of weak verbs.

   he crossed the river.

---

-ed ⁵ American  

1. a suffix forming the past participle of weak verbs (he had crossed the river ), and of participial adjectives indicating a condition or quality resulting from the action of the verb (inflated balloons ).

---

-ed ⁶ American  

1. a suffix forming adjectives from nouns.

   bearded; monied; tender-hearted.

---

ed. ⁷ American  

abbreviation

eds plural, plural

1. edited.

2. edition.

3. editor.

4. education.

---

E.D. ⁸ American  

abbreviation

1. Eastern Department.

2. election district.

3. ex dividend.

4. executive director.

---

ed. ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. edited

2. edition

3. editor

---

-ed ² British  

suffix

1. forming the past tense of most English verbs

---

-ed ³ British  

suffix

1. forming the past participle of most English verbs

---

-ed ⁴ British  

suffix

1. possessing or having the characteristics of

   salaried; red-blooded

---

Etymology

Origin of ed¹

By shortening

Origin of -ed⁴

Old English -de, -ede, -ode, -ade; origin disputed

Origin of -ed⁵

Old English -ed, -od, -ad; origin disputed

Origin of -ed⁶

Middle English; Old English -ede

Example Sentences

We have this old debate, should higher ed be for training for work or training for life?

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

Report ed new U.S. rules may require government permission for nearly all overseas sales of AI chips, impacting companies like Nvidia and AMD.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

As schools are encouraged to invest in "ed tech", a recent report by the Nuffield Foundation highlighted a lack of "evaluation and oversight" of firms providing learning platforms for children.

From BBC • Jul. 22, 2025

What calls to mind phys ed and school gymnasiums more palpably than dodgeball?

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2024

After phys ed one day, I was alone in the locker room when Ty and Johnny walked up to me.

From "The Million Dollar Shot" by Dan Gutman