leaven
noun
a substance, as yeast or baking powder, that causes fermentation and expansion of dough or batter.
leavened
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past participleof leaven.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
-
past tense formof leaven.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
leavennouna substance, as yeast or baking powder, that causes fermentation and expansion of dough or batter.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To begin with, there’s its ingratiating style, leisurely but leavened with wit and chutzpah, as well as Fiedler’s pervasive disdain for the sentimental and ersatz.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
The 65-year-old came to court in downtown Los Angeles for closing arguments this month in one of the biggest trials of his career, armed with a parable of leavened bread.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 28, 2026
In person, “Baltimore’s practiced elegance frames a fierce pride and a sometimes brutal intellect, softened only by his insistence that professional criticism be leavened by personal respect.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 8, 2025
Sourdough is the oldest kind of leavened bread in recorded history, and people have been eating it for thousands of years.
From Salon ● Apr. 30, 2024
Not a crumb or speck of leavened bread could be found anywhere.
From "The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother" by James McBride
