Meaning & use
carved in
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Meanings
verbtransitive or intransitive
cut words or a design into a hard surface such as stone or wood
Grammar: Often used in the passive: 'The name was carved in the stone.' The active form takes an object: 'They carved the date in the wall.'
Patterns
- carve something in something
- be carved in something
The lovers' initials were carved in the old oak tree.
A message was carved in the stone above the door.
He carved his name in the wooden desk.
verbtransitivefigurative
to make something permanent and unchangeable, as if cut into stone
Grammar: Usually in the passive with 'in stone': 'The rule is carved in stone.' It suggests something cannot be altered.
Patterns
- be carved in stone
- carve something in stone
The schedule is not carved in stone; we can change it if needed.
Their traditions are carved in stone and rarely questioned.
The decision was carved in stone after the vote.
Word forms
| base form | carve in |
|---|---|
| third person singular | carves in |
| present participle | carving in |
| past tense | carved in |
| past participle | carved in |
Common combinations
- carved in stone
- The promise is not carved in stone, so we can negotiate.
- carved in wood
- The sculpture was carved in wood by a local artist.
- carved in marble
- The statue's face was carved in marble.
- carved in the wall
- Ancient symbols were carved in the wall of the cave.
Synonyms and how they differ
- engraved
- Very similar for cutting words or designs into a hard surface, but 'engraved' is often used for metal, glass, or jewelry, while 'carved' is more for wood or stone.
- etched
- Similar but usually involves acid or a sharp tool on metal or glass; it can also be figurative for something memorable.
- inscribed
- More formal; it means to write or cut words on a surface, often for a permanent record.
Word family
Commonly confused: carved in or carved out?
carved in vs carved out
'Carved out' means created or obtained by effort (e.g., 'carved out a career'). 'Carved in' means cut into a surface, or figuratively fixed permanently.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'carved in' correctly?
Choose one answer.
The fixed expression for something unchangeable is 'carved in stone'. While the others are physically possible, they are not idiomatic for this figurative meaning.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “carved in”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.