furthered

Furthered is the past tense and past participle of the English verb to further. It means to advance, promote, or aid the progress of something. The word is used transitively, requiring a direct object such as a plan, goal, project, or field of work.

Examples include: "The foundation furthered the researchers' work by providing funding," and "Her advocacy furthered the cause." In passive constructions, it appears as "The plan was furthered by new partnerships." It can also describe actions that push a process forward, as in "The agreement furthered negotiations."

Furthered is distinct from further in two ways: further is commonly used as an adverb meaning more or to a greater extent (as in "to go further"); furthered specifically indicates progress that has been achieved through action.

Origin and usage: The verb to further originates in Old English and developed in Middle English in the sense of forward movement and promotion of goals. Over time, it has remained common in formal, academic, and policy contexts.