Meaning & use
canted
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“canted” is a form of “cant”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Deliberately tilted or sloping at an angle instead of being flat or upright.
Grammar: Used mainly before a noun or after linking verbs like be and sit: a canted wall, the roof is canted.
Patterns
- a canted surface
- canted at an angle
- canted walls/windows
The architect designed a canted glass wall so the light would bounce into the room.
The old barn had canted beams that leaned slightly to one side but still held the roof up.
From the road, the building's canted windows look like a row of tilted mirrors.
adjectivenot comparabletechnical
Placed or set at a slanting angle, as a camera or a piece of equipment.
Grammar: Often follows the noun it describes in technical descriptions: the camera, canted upward, caught the whole sky.
Patterns
- canted upward/downward
- a canted position
- hold something canted
He held the phone canted toward the speaker so the microphone could pick up the sound.
The satellite dish was canted upward to catch the signal from the north.
In the photograph, the whole horizon is canted, which gives the scene an uneasy feel.
Word forms
| base form (verb) | cant |
|---|---|
| comparative | more canted |
| superlative | most canted |
Common combinations
- canted wall
- The lobby has a canted wall that reflects the sunlight.
- canted roof
- Rain runs off the canted roof more quickly than a flat one.
- canted at an angle
- The shelf is canted at an angle so books lean back.
- slightly canted
- The picture on the wall is slightly canted to the left.
- canted window
- Canted windows along the corridor let in light from above.
Synonyms and how they differ
- slanted
- The everyday word for anything at an angle; canted is more technical and suggests a deliberate design choice.
- tilted
- Very close in meaning, but tilted often suggests something moved out of position, while canted can describe an intended angle.
- sloping
- Describes a surface that rises or falls steadily; canted usually means tilted sideways or set at a fixed angle.
- angled
- A general word that simply states there is an angle; canted is used mostly in architecture and design writing.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: canted or can't? canted or canted?
canted vs can't
Can't is the short form of cannot and sounds the same in many accents; canted is an adjective describing a tilted position.
canted vs canted
Do not confuse with candid, which means honest and direct, or with chanted, which means sung or repeated in rhythm.
Practice
Which sentence uses canted correctly?
Choose one answer.
Canted is an adjective meaning tilted or sloping, so it fits a table set at an angle. Option 2 wrongly treats it as a verb of speaking, option 3 uses it as a noun, and option 4 uses it as a verb of movement.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “canted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.