discussed

Discussed is the past tense and past participle of the verb discuss. It denotes the act of talking about a topic to exchange ideas, examine details, or reach an understanding. In both formal and informal writing, it indicates that a subject has been covered in conversation or writing.

Etymology: Discuss derives from Latin discutere, meaning “to examine, shake apart,” formed from dis- “apart” and quatere “to shake.” It passed through Old French discuter before entering English.

Usage: Discussed is used transitively, as in “The committee discussed the proposal.” In the passive voice, it becomes “The proposal was discussed.” As a past participle in participial phrases, it appears in contexts such as “the issues discussed in the report” or “topics discussed earlier.”

Nuance and synonyms: Discussed implies a collaborative consideration of a topic rather than an argument. For stronger disagreement or contention, debate or argue is more typical. For careful weighing before a decision, deliberated or considered may be preferred. Common collocations include discussed at length, discussed in detail, and topics discussed.

Examples:

- The panel discussed the implications of the policy.

- The memo discussed several alternative strategies.

- The issues discussed in the meeting led to a new plan.