gotten
adj. US //ˈɡɑtən// UK //ɡˈɒtən// got·ten
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1 obtained or acquired (adj.) C1 Advanced Formaldescribes something that has been gained or earned.
obtained or acquired; almost exclusively used in compound adjectives like 'ill-gotten'.
ExampleThe criminals had to give back all their ill-gotten money.
ExampleThe investigation focused on the recovery of ill-gotten assets hidden in offshore accounts to avoid domestic taxation.
UsageUsually appears as part of a compound adjective followed by a noun.
Teacher's tipThis sense is rarely used alone; it is most common in the fixed idiom 'ill-gotten gains'.
Morphologically got + -en.
- Verbgot
- Verbgotten