said

¹ American  

[sed] / sɛd /

verb

1. simple past tense and past participle of say.

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adjective

1. Chiefly Law. named or mentioned before; aforesaid; aforementioned.

   said witness;

   said sum.

said ² American  

[sah-id] / ˈsɑ ɪd /

noun

Islam.

1. sayyid.

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said ¹ British  

/ sɛd /

adjective

1. (prenominal) (in contracts, pleadings, etc) named or mentioned previously; aforesaid

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verb

1. the past tense and past participle of say 1

said ² British  

/ ˈsɑːɪd /

noun

1. a variant of sayyid

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said Idioms  

1. see easier said than done; enough said; no sooner said than done; when all's said and done; you said it. Also see under say.

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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

“Historically, teams that host the World Cup outperform their capabilities,” Donovan said.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

“My immediate priority is protecting the unhoused individuals who rely on these services and the frontline organizations working every day to help them,” Barger said in a statement.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

“HUD cannot ignore LAHSA’s wanton mismanagement of public funds,” Hughes said in his letter.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

But Minter and others said the move was unprecedented.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 11, 2026

“She said she’d let me tell you,” I reply.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold