What does "fallen" mean?

1. (past participle of fall) the form of 'fall' used with 'have' or 'has' to show an action is finished. 2. (dropped to the ground) lying on the ground after dropping or being cut down. 3. (killed in battle) killed while fighting in a war. 4. (lost status or grace) having lost a high position, respect, or moral goodness. 5. (the dead in war) people who have died in a war, usually called 'the fallen'.

How do you use "fallen"?

Always used with the definite article 'the' as a collective noun.

Is it correct to say "The leaves have fell from the trees."?

No — say "The leaves have fallen from the trees.". Use 'fallen' with the helping verb 'have'; 'fell' is the simple past and stands alone.

fallen

v. · adj. · n.

US //ˈfɑɫən// UK //fˈɔːlən// fall·en

1 past participle of fall (v.)
A2 Elementary

the form of 'fall' used with 'have' or 'has' to show an action is finished.

the past participle of the intransitive verb 'fall', used to form the perfect aspect or the passive voice.

Example

The temperature has fallen quickly since the sun went down.

Example

By the time the rescue team arrived, the heavy snow had already fallen for six hours, making the mountain paths impassable.
- dropped
- descended
- risen
Pitfall

The leaves have fell from the trees.

The leaves have fallen from the trees.

Use 'fallen' with the helping verb 'have'; 'fell' is the simple past and stands alone.
2 dropped to the ground (adj.)
B1 Intermediate

lying on the ground after dropping or being cut down.

having dropped to the ground by gravity or force; often used of natural objects like trees or leaves.

Example

We had to climb over a fallen tree to stay on the forest path.

Example

The hikers navigated around several fallen branches that had been brought down by the previous night's gale.
- dropped
- toppled
- standing
- upright

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3 killed in battle (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal Literary

killed while fighting in a war.

killed in a military conflict; used as a respectful way to refer to dead soldiers.

Example

The town built a monument to remember the fallen soldiers.

Example

Every November, the community gathers at the cenotaph to pay their respects to the fallen heroes of the Great War.
- slain
- killed
- surviving
4 lost status or grace (adj.)
C1 Advanced Literary Formal Religion

having lost a high position, respect, or moral goodness.

having experienced a loss of status, reputation, or religious grace.

Example

The book tells the story of a fallen leader trying to regain his power.

Example

The poem explores the tragic perspective of a fallen angel cast out from paradise for his pride.
- disgraced
- ruined
- virtuous
- honoured
5 the dead in war (n.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Formal

people who have died in a war, usually called 'the fallen'.

a collective plural noun referring to those killed in a specific battle or war.

Example

The nation stopped for two minutes of silence to honour the fallen.

Example

The names of the fallen were inscribed in alphabetical order upon the marble walls of the memorial hall.

Usage

Always used with the definite article 'the' as a collective noun.
- casualties
- the dead

Origin

Morphologically fall + -en.