What does answered mean?
"Answered" is the past tense and past participle of the verb "answer," one of the most fundamental words of communication in English. To have answered is to have given a reply — whether to a spoken question, a written letter, a ringing telephone, or a knock at the door. Beyond literal replies, the word extends naturally to broader responses: a leader answered critics with reform, a company answered demand with new supply, and a prayer is sometimes said to be answered when wishes come true. The word derives from Old English "andswaru," built from roots meaning "against" and "swear," reflecting an ancient sense of replying under oath. Utterly neutral in tone, "answered" works in any register, from legal transcripts to everyday conversation, making it indispensable for describing completed acts of response.
verbThe past tense and past participle of "answer" — to have said or written something in reply to a question, letter, or request, or to have responded to a situation or call.
- To have spoken or written something in reply to a question or remark.
- To have responded to a telephone call, doorbell, or summons by going to it or picking it up.
- To have reacted to a situation, accusation, or need with appropriate action.
"She answered every question the interviewer asked with calm confidence."
"He answered the phone on the first ring, fearing bad news."
"The government answered criticism of its policy with a detailed public report."
Every time you say "answered," you're using a word whose Old English ancestor literally meant to swear back — an answer was once a solemn vow given in return.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of answered
The word traces back through Middle English to Old English "andswarian," from "andswaru" meaning "an answer." This compound joins "and-" (against) with "-swaru" related to "swear" (from Germanic *swarjan), so an answer originally carried the sense of a sworn statement made against or in return to another's words. Cognates appear across the Germanic family, including Old Norse "andsvar." The modern verb has kept its core sense of responding since earliest recorded use.
Related word forms
How answered is actually used
"Answered" is the standard past form of "answer" in both British and American English. It carries no strong register constraints and appears equally in formal writing and casual speech.
Easily confused with answered
"Answered" means replied or responded, while there is no common confusion — but it is sometimes misheard as "and so it" in rapid speech; the correct word always refers to a response.