English Reference

Word

flagged

US/ˈfɫæɡd/

UK/flˈæɡd/

Definition

adj. marked or identified as needing special attention or being a potential problem.

adj. marked with a symbol or indicator to denote a requirement for further scrutiny or action. Often used in digital or administrative contexts to highlight errors or suspicious activity.

Examples

“The system flagged his account for suspicious activity.”

“Several emails were flagged as spam by the security software because they contained suspicious links.”

“During the audit, the accountant flagged several inconsistencies in the quarterly reports that required immediate clarification from the department heads.”

Examples

simple

“The system flagged his account for suspicious activity.”

contextual

“Several emails were flagged as spam by the security software because they contained suspicious links.”

complex

“During the audit, the accountant flagged several inconsistencies in the quarterly reports that required immediate clarification from the department heads.”

Usage

Often used predicatively after 'be' or 'get', or as a participial adjective modifying a noun.

Real-World Examples

Common in sport writing

“The staff member said I'd been identified by the AI, and the cameras had flagged me," he told BBC London.”
BBC News · 17 Aug 2026
“Annabel Mason-Thompson went for a Neko Health scan in September last year, knowing she had a suspicious-looking mark on her back - but it wasn't flagged by the technology.”
BBC News · 8 Aug 2026
“Of 72 students, only Rignol’s exam was flagged by a teaching assistant for possible AI use, in part because of its unusual length.”
Ars Technica · 31 Jul 2026

This entry

Level
B2 · Upper Intermediate
Frequency
Frequent
Updated

Scan code

englishreference.com/q/flagged

English Reference