deleted

Meanings

1. 1verbtransitive

   removed text, files or data from a computer, phone or document.

   Grammar: Past tense or past participle of delete; use it for something that has already been removed, often with was or had: the email was deleted.

   Patterns

   • delete something
   • something was deleted
   • have something deleted

   She deleted the message before anyone could read it.

   All the old photos were deleted when the phone broke.

   I accidentally deleted the file, so I had to write the report again.

2. 2adjectivebefore a noun

   no longer available because someone has removed it, especially on a screen or online.

   Grammar: Used in front of a noun to describe something that has been removed: a deleted post, the deleted section.

   Patterns

   • a deleted file
   • the deleted post
   • recover a deleted item

   A deleted comment can sometimes still be found in a backup.

   The deleted scene appears as an extra on the DVD.

   He keeps a folder of deleted drafts in case he changes his mind.

Common combinations

deleted file

The deleted file was still in the trash folder.

deleted scene

The director added a deleted scene to the new edition.

accidentally deleted

I accidentally deleted the whole folder.

permanently deleted

Once it is permanently deleted, you cannot get it back.

Synonyms and how they differ

removed

More general and works for physical things too, while deleted is mostly about text, files or online content.

erased

Often suggests wiping something completely, such as a recording or a mark, and sounds slightly more dramatic than deleted.

Opposites

Word family

delete verb

the base form, meaning to remove text or data

deletion noun

the act of removing something, or the thing removed

Commonly confused: deleted or delegated?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “deleted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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