passed
Americanadjective
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having completed the act of passing.
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having received a passing grade on an examination or test or successfully completed a school course, year, or program of study.
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Finance. noting a dividend not paid at the usual dividend date.
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U.S. Navy. having successfully completed an examination for promotion, and awaiting a vacancy in the next grade.
a passed chief engineer.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of passed
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English; pass + -ed 2
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.
Passed in 2010, the law deemed them to be vital water reserves, and so prohibited any damaging commercial activity.
From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026
Appeared in the March 31, 2026, print edition as 'The Abraham Accords Passed the Stress Test'.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026
Passed by the National Assembly in December, the law focuses on the risks posed by generative AI, requiring human oversight and control along the lines of the European Union's landmark AI Act.
From Barron's • Feb. 28, 2026
Passed over for succession in favor of Kim Jong Un, her eldest brother Kim Jong Chul is now reportedly living a quiet life away from politics.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 30, 2025
Passed out with his mouth open, like a little bird waiting for the next meal.
From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.