# fallen

/ˈfɑɫən/ (US) · /fˈɔːlən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/fallen
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. past participle of fall

verb · CEFR A2

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

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

- The temperature has fallen quickly since the sun went down.
- By the time the rescue team arrived, the heavy snow had already fallen for six hours, making the mountain paths impassable.

### 2. dropped to the ground

adjective · CEFR B1

lying on the ground after dropping or being cut down.

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

- We had to climb over a fallen tree to stay on the forest path.
- The hikers navigated around several fallen branches that had been brought down by the previous night's gale.

### 3. killed in battle

adjective · CEFR B2 · Formal · Literary

killed while fighting in a war.

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

- The town built a monument to remember the fallen soldiers.
- Every November, the community gathers at the cenotaph to pay their respects to the fallen heroes of the Great War.

### 4. lost status or grace

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary · Formal

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

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

- The book tells the story of a fallen leader trying to regain his power.
- The poem explores the tragic perspective of a fallen angel cast out from paradise for his pride.

### 5. the dead in war

noun · CEFR B2 · Formal

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

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

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

## Examples

- The leaves have fallen from the trees.
- By the time we reached the garden, several heavy branches had fallen during the storm.
- The stock market has fallen significantly over the last quarter, prompting investors to reconsider their long-term strategies in the face of economic uncertainty.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.