What does granted mean?
Granted is the past tense and past participle of grant, and it can describe something formally given, awarded, or allowed. In ordinary contexts, it refers to a permission, privilege, request, or resource that has been approved: a fellowship was granted, or an applicant was granted leave. The word also has a concessive use in expressions such as “granted that” and “it is granted,” where a point is admitted for the sake of argument, usually while the speaker continues to challenge or qualify it. As a participle, granted can therefore sound official and final, whereas the concessive use may sound formal, literary, or slightly old-fashioned. The word is useful because it distinguishes a decision or concession from a mere possibility. “Granted” does not by itself mean that the thing received is deserved, permanent, or satisfactory; those implications depend on context. It is common in both British and American English.
Granted is the past tense and past participle of grant, meaning formally gave, allowed, or awarded something.
"The committee granted her request to speak."
It is often used in formal or official contexts involving permission, access, requests, rights, or awards.
As an adjective, granted means formally given, allowed, awarded, or conceded.
"The court ruled that the motion was granted."
The concessive expression “granted that” is more formal or literary and can introduce a point that the speaker nevertheless intends to qualify.
“Take it for granted” is a warning wrapped in a phrase: what feels obvious can still be worth checking.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does granted come from?
Granted is the inflectional form of grant, a word that entered Middle English through Old French granter. The English verb is related to a wider family associated with Latin gratus, meaning “pleasing,” which also underlies words such as grateful, gratitude, and gracious. The modern senses of grant include formally giving or awarding something, allowing a request, and conceding a point, all of which can appear in the form granted.
How granted is actually used
In normal statements, granted often has an official or formal tone, especially when referring to permission, access, a request, or a privilege. Its concessive use, particularly in “granted that,” is more formal, literary, or traditional than everyday speech.
Easily confused with granted
Granted is an inflected form of grant used after a subject to report the action, while grant is the base verb or the noun meaning a gift, privilege, or allowance.