använd

Använd is a Swedish word that primarily functions as an adjective meaning “used” and as the present participle form related to the verb använda, meaning “to use.” In practical use, använd can modify nouns to indicate something has been employed or is in use, such as equipment, software, or documentation, for example “använd utrustning” (used equipment) or “använd programvara” (used software). It can also appear in predicative positions in certain constructions.

The word is central to a family of terms built from the same root. The noun bruk of related words includes användning (the act or process of using). The noun användare means “user,” and from this 根prefix, compounds such as användargränssnitt (user interface) and användarvillkor (terms of use) are formed. Adjectives derived from the same root include användbar (usable) and its noun form användbarhet (usability).

Etymology: Använd derives from the verb använda, with a history in Swedish dating back to Middle Swedish. The form and related compounds are widely used across technical, commercial, and everyday language.

Usage notes: In everyday Swedish, använd emphasizes the state of something being in use or having been employed, rather than merely its age or whether it is second-hand. For signaling second-hand status, begagnad is more common in many contexts. In formal or technical writing, använd and its compounds appear frequently in discussions of software, hardware, and user-centered terminology.

See also: Användning, Användare, Användargränssnitt, Användbar, Användbarhet, Begagnad.