Meaning & use
labeled
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“labeled” is a form of “label”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Past tense and past participle of label: marked with a tag or name that tells what something is or contains.
Grammar: Past tense takes an object: she labeled the boxes.
Patterns
- labeled with something
- labeled as something
She labeled every box before the move.
The jars were clearly labeled with the date.
Each drawer is labeled by category.
verbtransitivefigurative
Described or categorized as a particular type of person, often unfairly or too simply.
Grammar: Often with as and a noun or adjective: he was labeled as lazy.
Patterns
- labeled as something
- labeled a something
He was labeled a troublemaker after one mistake.
The film was labeled as a comedy but felt sad.
They labeled the plan unrealistic.
adjectivebefore a noun
Carrying a label or marked to identify its contents.
Grammar: Used before a noun: labeled bottles.
Patterns
- clearly labeled
Please use the labeled bins for recycling.
The labeled diagram shows the parts of a cell.
Keep medicines in labeled containers.
Word forms
| base form | label |
|---|---|
| third person singular | labels |
| past tense | labeled |
| -ing form | labeling |
Common combinations
- clearly labeled
- All food must be clearly labeled.
- labeled as
- The product was labeled as organic.
- labeled diagram
- Draw a labeled diagram of the heart.
- wrongly labeled
- The file was wrongly labeled and got lost.
- labeled with
- The boxes are labeled with their contents.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tagged
- Tagged suggests a small attached tag, or a digital marker, while labeled is general.
- marked
- Marked means some sign was put on, whereas labeled specifically means a name or description was added.
- branded
- Branded often suggests a lasting and negative description, while labeled can be neutral.
- classified
- Classified means put into a category by a system, whereas labeled can be informal.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: labeled or labelled?
labeled vs labelled
Labelled with two l's is the British spelling of the same word.
Practice
In American English, the past tense of label is spelled ______.
Choose one answer.
American English uses a single l before -ed. Labelled is the British spelling, and the other options are misspellings.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “labeled”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.