ended

Ended is the past tense and past participle of the verb end. It denotes that an event, process, or state has reached completion or termination. In narrative and factual writing, ended is used to place actions in time or to describe the conclusion of ongoing activity.

Etymology and form: End comes from Old English ende, and ended is formed by adding the regular past tense suffix -ed. As a regular verb, its principal parts are end, ended, ended. The -ed ending signals past time or a completed state, and in perfect constructions it appears with have or has (e.g., has ended).

Usage notes: As a finite verb, ended marks past time: The game ended at noon. In present perfect constructions, it appears as have/has ended: The game has ended. It can describe the conclusion of a sequence or period: The project ended after three years. As a past participle, ended is used in passive voice or in perfect tenses: The negotiations were ended by a new directive; The season has ended early due to weather. It can function as a participial adjective in certain contexts, though more natural phrasing often uses a relative clause (the game that has ended).

Related terms: ending (the noun or gerund form), end (base verb and noun), finish, conclusion. Common collocations include come to an end, end up, end of.

See also: ending, end, finish, conclusion.