said
1 Americanverb
adjective
noun
adjective
verb
noun
Etymology
Origin of said
First recorded in 1300–50, for the adjective
Explanation
The word said is the past tense of the verb "say," but it can also be used as an adjective to refer to something that has been previously introduced. Although said is most commonly used as the past tense of the verb say, its use as an adjective comes mainly in legal and business writing. In that vein, the word offers a reference to something that was mentioned earlier. The judge may tell you that if you can't provide said evidence, your case will be dismissed. That evidence was mentioned before. If you don't know what the said example is, you must not have been paying attention.
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.
“I would say that everything we’ve done, we’ve tried to do with respect to the other side and to not make it cruel,” the rep said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
"Mum died just before the court case so she's never seen what happened," said Lizzie.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
More than 95% of the ports trade is with Asian partners, with China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam the top five countries, Seroka said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026
"I wanted to tell my mum for years and years, and I just couldn't bring myself to tell her," said Lizzie.
From BBC • May 11, 2026
“I’ve never been in front of a big crowd reading poetry,” he said, getting up from the bed and standing beside her.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
![]()
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.