What does wanted mean?
“Wanted” most commonly means desired, needed, or sought by someone. It appears in expressions such as “a wanted job,” where it indicates that a person or opportunity is in demand, and in “wanted by the police,” where it identifies someone being sought by the authorities. As a noun, “wanted” can refer to a person sought by the law or to a notice advertising a person, property, or opportunity. In informal contexts, it may also describe someone regarded as sexually attractive. The word is also the past tense and past participle of “want,” as in “She wanted more time.” Its strong association with desire and pursuit makes it useful whenever an object, person, opportunity, or even reassurance is actively being sought. In the phrase “wanted for murder,” however, the meaning shifts from desire to suspicion: the authorities are not seeking the person’s presence, but seeking to apprehend them.
Desired, needed, or sought by someone; sought by the authorities.
"The police issued a warning about a wanted man."
The law-enforcement sense is especially common in notices, news reports, and official warnings.
A notice or advertisement seeking a person, item, or other thing; also a person sought by the authorities.
"A wanted poster appeared on telephone poles throughout the town."
The noun “wanted” is common in the expressions “wanted poster” and “wanted man.”
The past tense and past participle of “want.”
"Many applicants wanted a role that allowed them to work remotely."
In this function, “wanted” can express either a past desire or an ongoing wish, as in “the applicants wanted flexibility.”
From a job listing to a pursuit notice, “wanted” turns desire into a story: some people want it, while the law wants them.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does wanted come from?
“Wanted” is formed from “want” plus the participial ending “-ed.” “Want” comes from Old English “wantan,” meaning “to lack or need,” and ultimately from the Proto-Germanic and Indo-European roots associated with want or deficiency. Over time, the meaning developed toward desire, and “wanted” came to mean “desired” or “sought.” Related forms include “wanton” and “wan,” both connected with the same Germanic root.
How wanted is actually used
In everyday use, “wanted” often means strongly desired or needed. “Wanted by the police” has a legal or law-enforcement register, while the informal sense of being sexually attractive is common in personal advertisements and informal conversation.