past participle

noun

: a participle that typically expresses completed action, that is traditionally one of the principal parts of the verb, and that is traditionally used in English in the formation of perfect tenses in the active voice and of all tenses in the passive voice

Examples of past participle in a Sentence

The verbs “thrown” in “the ball has been thrown” and “raised” in “many hands were raised” are past participles.

Recent Examples on the Web

In Italian, the verb diventare mostly appears as past participle: The situation has become difficult, or he’s become strange. —Cheri Lucas Rowlands, Longreads, 30 Sep. 2022

And could this past participle of the verb to do be considered an emotion? —Melissa Mohr, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Jan. 2022

Investigators also found other examples of her writing with the same past participle mistake. —New York Times, 20 Nov. 2021

Pena Nieto used an incorrect past participle sometimes used by children in a speech in Paris at the offices of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. —Washington Post, 12 Dec. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1798, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

past participle

noun

: a participle that expresses completed action and that is one of the principal parts of the verb

"raised" in "Many hands were raised" and "thrown" in "The ball has been thrown" are past participles