What does kneeled mean?
Kneeled is the past tense and past participle of kneel, meaning that someone has moved into or occupied a position with one or both knees on the ground. The posture commonly conveys prayer, reverence, respect, gratitude, submission, or homage, though it can also be used simply to describe a physical action. In narrative and historical writing, kneeled is often associated with ceremonial or solemn moments, as in kneeling during worship, before a ruler, or in submission. The alternative past tense knelt is traditional and widely accepted, while kneeled is particularly common in American usage. The verb has a strong association with the body lowering itself, so it can convey both physical movement and social or spiritual humility.
verbPast tense and past participle of kneel. It means to be in or move into a kneeling position, often as a sign of prayer, respect, or submission.
- To be in a kneeling position or to move into one.
- To show reverence, respect, prayer, submission, or homage by kneeling.
"The congregation kneeled in silence during the service."
"The soldiers kneeled before the monarch."
"She kneeled beside the bed and held her father's hand."
From the moment someone kneels, a simple posture becomes a powerful sign of reverence, devotion, or submission.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does kneeled come from?
The verb comes through Middle English from forms related to Old English cneol, meaning 'knee.' The development was also influenced by cognate forms in related Germanic languages. The modern inflections preserve the distinction between the base verb kneel and forms such as kneeled and knelt.
Related word forms
How kneeled is actually used
The form is used as the past tense and past participle of kneel. In American English, 'kneeled' is the usual inflection, although 'knelt' is also accepted; British English also commonly uses 'knelt.'
Easily confused with kneeled
Both forms are past tenses of kneel, but 'knelt' is the traditional and more common past tense, while 'kneeled' is also standard in American English.