# said

/ˈsɛd/ (US) · /sˈɛd/ (UK)

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

## Senses

### 2. previously mentioned

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

used to talk about a person or thing that you have already mentioned.

For teachers: referring to a person or thing previously mentioned or named; used to avoid ambiguity in formal contexts.

- The said person must appear in court on Tuesday morning.
- The said property shall remain in the possession of the tenant until the contract expires.

Usage: Usually placed before the noun it modifies.

Teaching tip: This sense is almost exclusively found in legal documents or very formal reports; it sounds unnatural in everyday conversation.

### 3. the mentioned item

determiner · CEFR C1 · Formal · Technical

the specific thing that was just talked about.

For teachers: functioning as a demonstrative to identify a specific entity already established in the text.

- After the car was sold, said car was involved in an accident.
- The applicant must provide proof of identity; said proof must be a valid passport or driving license.

## Examples

- She said hello to me this morning.
- The manager said that the meeting would be postponed until next Tuesday at the earliest.
- While the report said very little about the specific causes of the failure, it highlighted several systemic vulnerabilities that required immediate attention from the board.

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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.