Verwendete

Verwendete is the simple past form (Präteritum) of the German verb verwenden, meaning to use or to employ. It can also function as the attributive or predicative past participle, meaning “used” or “employed,” as in phrases describing something that has been used.

Forms and usage

In Präteritum, verwendet man the forms ich verwendete, du verwendetest, er verwendete, wir verwendeten, ihr verwendetet, sie verwendeten. The past participle is verwendet, used with the auxiliary haben to form perfect tenses (Ich habe das Werkzeug verwendet). As an attributive participle before nouns, verwendete can take adjective endings: die verwendeten Materialien, das verwendete Beispiel.

Etymology and relation to verwandte terms

Verwenden derives from ver- plus wenden (to turn or wind) and conveys the sense of applying something for a purpose. The noun form is Verwendung (use, application). Related verbs include benutzen, anwenden, einsetzen, which are often synonymous but carry slight stylistic or nuance differences: verwenden tends to be formal or technical; benutzen is more colloquial; anwenden emphasizes deliberate application; einsetzen stresses deployment of a means.

Practical notes

In technical, scientific, or formal writing, verwenden is common for “to use,” while the attributive participle is frequently seen in compound adjectives (die verwendeten Methoden). The word’s meaning remains purposive use rather than mere handling.

Examples

Ich verwendete das neue Gerät, um die Messungen durchzuführen. Die verwendeten Quellen stammen aus Fachzeitschriften. Die Verwendung der Software war erfolgreich.