# RAN

/ˈɹæn/ (US) · /ɹˈæn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ran
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. past tense of run

verb · CEFR A1

the past tense of 'run'. You use this to say that someone moved fast on foot in the past.

For teachers: the simple past tense of the irregular verb 'run'.

- She ran to the bus stop because she was late for work.
- The marathon winner ran with such consistent pace that he broke the course record by nearly two minutes.

Usage: The simple past form; it does not require an auxiliary verb like 'have'.

### 2. Royal Australian Navy

noun · CEFR C1 · American English

Stands for Royal Australian Navy. It is the part of the Australian military that fights at sea.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Royal Australian Navy. The naval branch of the Australian Defence Force.

- His grandfather served in the RAN during the second world war.
- The RAN conducted joint maritime exercises with several allied nations to improve regional security coordination.

Teaching tip: This is an initialism specific to Australian contexts; outside of Australia, it may need explanation.

### 3. mobile network technology

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

Stands for Radio Access Network. It is the technology that connects your phone to the mobile network.

For teachers: Abbreviation for Radio Access Network. The component of a mobile telecommunications system that connects individual devices to other parts of a core network via radio links.

- The company is upgrading its RAN to provide faster 5G signals to customers.
- Engineers identified a bottleneck in the RAN that was causing significant latency issues for mobile users in high-density urban areas.

Usage: Usually used as an uncountable noun or as a modifier before other nouns like 'infrastructure' or 'vendor'.

## Examples

- I ran to the bus stop this morning.
- The athlete ran the final lap in record time to win the gold medal.
- After the fire alarm sounded, everyone ran toward the nearest exit in a controlled but urgent manner to ensure the building was evacuated safely.

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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.