What does received mean?
Received is the past tense and past participle of receive, a verb meaning to be given something, to accept or collect something, or to welcome someone. Its everyday uses include receiving a message, gift, payment, invitation, or piece of news. It can also describe the act of accepting or obtaining something, as when a proposal receives support or a product receives an award. In formal legal and academic contexts, received can mean accepted or regarded as authoritative within a particular tradition. Because it ends in -ed, it normally takes the normal past-tense and past-participle forms: she received the package, and the package has been received. The word is used in both British and American English and is generally neutral in tone.
The past tense and past participle of receive, meaning to be given or handed something, to accept or collect something, or to welcome someone.
"The university received an anonymous donation."
The form is used with subjects in both simple past and perfect constructions, such as “received” and “has received.”
Accepted or regarded as valid, especially within a particular tradition or body of knowledge.
"The theory was long regarded as received wisdom, though it later fell out of favor."
This use is formal and relatively specialized, especially in legal, academic, and historical writing.
One letter changes the meaning: receive is an action, received tells you the action has already happened.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does received come from?
Received comes from receive, which entered English from Old French receivre, ultimately from Latin recipere, meaning “to take back” or “receive.” The Latin root re- means “back” and capere means “to take,” so the original sense involves taking or getting something back. Related English words include receipt, recipient, and receptive, while cognates appear in languages such as French and Spanish.
Related word forms
How received is actually used
Received is standard in formal and informal contexts. In legal and academic writing, it can mean accepted or established within a particular tradition, as in received doctrine; this use is more specialized than the common participial meaning.
Easily confused with received
Received is the past tense of receive, while receipt is a noun meaning a written acknowledgement of payment or something received.