processed

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Made or changed in a factory through several treatments, such as refining, adding preservatives or packaging, rather than left in its natural state.

   Grammar: Usually comes before the noun: processed meat, not the meat was very processed.

   Patterns

   • processed food
   • processed meat
   • highly processed

   Doctors advise eating less processed meat.

   Most of the cereal in that aisle is heavily processed.

   She tries to cook from scratch instead of buying processed meals.

2. 2adjectivecomparable

   Having been dealt with or worked through by a system, office or computer according to a set procedure.

   Grammar: Often follows a noun with a form of be: the data was processed overnight.

   Patterns

   • processed data
   • processed application

   Your processed application will be sent back by post.

   The processed images were much clearer than the originals.

   Once the payment is processed, you will receive an email.

Common combinations

processed food

Processed food often contains more salt than home cooking.

ultra-processed

Ultra-processed snacks have become a focus of health studies.

processed cheese

The burger came with a slice of processed cheese.

processed data

The processed data showed a clear trend.

processed claim

The insurer said the processed claim would be paid within a week.

Synonyms and how they differ

refined

Refined means purified or stripped of unwanted parts, so it suits sugar and flour better than the broader processed.

manufactured

Manufactured says an item was made in a factory but does not imply that a natural ingredient was altered.

treated

Treated is vaguer and often points to a single step such as chemicals or heat.

Opposites

Word family

process verb

to treat or handle something through a series of steps

processing noun

the act of treating or handling something in steps

processor noun

a machine or person that processes something

unprocessed adjective

not yet treated or handled

Commonly confused: processed or proceeded?

Practice

Make it your own

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

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