What does sacked mean?
Sacked most commonly means dismissed from a job or position. It is especially associated with British English, where it functions as an informal workplace term; speakers in the United States more often say “fired.” The word can also describe a person who has lost employment, as in “a sacked worker.” In American football, a quarterback is “sacked” when tackled behind the line of scrimmage. An older, literary, and historical sense means to plunder or ravage a place, especially during conflict, as in the sack of a city. Context normally distinguishes these uses: employment references concern termination, football references concern a tackle, and the older sense concerns looting or destruction. Sacked is memorable because it preserves several layers of English history, from medieval ideas of sacks and plundering to military dismissal and modern workplace language.
To dismiss someone from employment or a position, especially in informal British English; also, in literary or historical contexts, to plunder or ravage a place.
"The board sacked the director after months of criticism."
The employment sense is especially British and informal. The plundering sense is chiefly literary or historical.
Dismissed from employment; or, in American football, tackled behind the line of scrimmage.
"The sacked quarterback watched the replay of the tackle."
The employment sense is especially British, while the football sense is particularly common in US sports reporting.
Before it commonly meant losing a job, “sacked” belonged to the vocabulary of dismissing soldiers—a military past that survives in modern workplace language.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does sacked come from?
Sacked is the past tense and past participle of sack. The noun sack comes through Old French sac from Latin saccus, ultimately from Greek sakkos, meaning a bag; the related Old French sacquer supplied the sense of plundering or ravaging. The employment meaning developed from earlier military usage of sack in connection with dismissal, before becoming common for termination from civilian employment.
Related word forms
How sacked is actually used
In the employment sense, sacked is especially associated with British English and is informal but sometimes blunt; American English more often uses fired. In American football, a quarterback is sacked when a pass rusher tackles the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. The plundering sense is chiefly literary or historical and often implies a violent attack and extensive looting.