Showing results for "spoken"

• past participle of speak.

spoken

American  

[spoh-kuhn] / ˈspoʊ kən /

verb

1. a past participle of speak.

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adjective

1. uttered or expressed by speaking; oral (opposed to written).

   the spoken word.

2. speaking, or using speech, as specified (usually used in combination).

   fair-spoken; plain-spoken; soft-spoken.

spoken British  

/ ˈspəʊkən /

verb

1. the past participle of speak

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adjective

1. uttered through the medium of speech Compare written

2. (in combination) having speech as specified

   soft-spoken

3. engaged, reserved, or allocated

Etymology

Origin of spoken

First recorded in 1570–80, for the adjective

Explanation

Anything that's spoken is said out loud. "Spoken word" is a genre of poetry that is meant to be recited and performed in front of an audience. Spoken is the past participle of the verb speak, but it's also an adjective that describes things that are uttered or said or articulated or voiced. It's often used in combination with another adjective, like a soft-spoken friend or a blunt-spoken teacher. It can also distinguish one thing from a written version: "I'm taking a spoken exam instead of a written one, so I should do fine."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

spoken

But Faceland patients we have spoken to say they spent less than an hour at the clinics.

From BBC ● Sep. 23, 2026

“We’ve both spoken about very different approaches, very different beliefs.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026

Fox Sports announcer Tom Brady might have spoken for all of us when viewing the play in which Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels dislocated his left elbow Sunday against the Dallas Cowboys.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026

Texas Democrats I’ve spoken to over the years have a way of framing O’Rourke’s 2018 Senate run as not only a highly impressive achievement … but also something they’re comfortable Monday-morning quarterbacking.

From Slate ● Sep. 21, 2026

In all the time I have spoken with Theo—every time he’s been jocular, or dry, or self-deprecating, or sincere—he’s never, ever had this kind of sharpness.

From "The Brightwood Code" by Monica Hesse