What does screened mean?
Screened has several related meanings, all involving the use or idea of a screen. As an adjective, it can describe something hidden, protected, or fitted with a screen, such as a screened porch or a screened opening. It can also describe material that has been separated from other substances, as in screened sand, and a version of a work adapted for cinematic or television presentation. As a verb, screened means to conceal or protect with a barrier, to filter material, or to examine people or things according to specified criteria. In recruitment and security contexts, screening applicants means checking their qualifications, history, or suitability. The word is common in British and American English and is especially frequent in discussions of film, security, recruitment, and physical ventilation. Across these senses, screening suggests both separation from something unwanted and careful examination before something is allowed to pass.
Concealed, protected, or hidden by a screen; filtered from other material; examined against specified criteria; or adapted for screen presentation.
"The report included a screened version of the confidential documents."
The precise sense depends on context, especially in media, employment, and architecture.
To conceal or protect with a screen, filter material, examine something against specified criteria, or adapt something for screen presentation.
"Security officers screened every visitor before admitting them."
In past-tense and passive contexts, screened commonly indicates a completed security or suitability check.
A screen can hide a scene, filter a substance, or reveal someone's qualifications: one word carries all three ideas.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does screened come from?
The English word screen comes through Middle English from Old French screene, which was influenced by Middle Dutch scherm, meaning a shield or covering. The past form screened developed as a regular inflection of screen and appeared in English during the early modern period. Its present meanings expanded naturally from physically covering or protecting an opening to filtering substances and examining people.
Related word forms
How screened is actually used
When describing a filtered or reviewed person or thing, screened is usually followed by a criterion or by for, as in “screened for suitability.” In film and television contexts, screened can mean shown publicly or adapted for a screen, while in everyday architectural usage it commonly means fitted with a mesh or other barrier.