paid

Paid is the past tense and past participle of the verb pay. It denotes that money has been given in exchange for goods or services, to settle a debt, or as compensation. As an adjective, paid describes earnings, benefits, or status that result from payment, such as paid leave or paid employment.

In everyday usage, paid modifies nouns to indicate compensation or settlement. Phrases like paid vacation, paid internship, or paid staff signal that these items or positions involve remuneration. The term paid in full means a debt or bill has been completely settled. In marketing and media, paid media, paid search, and paid social refer to advertising channels for which space or placements are purchased.

In business and accounting, paid-related terms describe capital and receipts. Paid-in capital (also called contributed capital) is the portion of a company’s equity that shareholders have actually paid for. Paid-up capital refers to issued shares for which full payment has been received. These concepts distinguish funds that have been collected from those that are still outstanding or represented by other forms of equity.

Etymology and usage notes: paid is an irregular verb form of pay, and its use spans legal, financial, employment, and marketing contexts. The term is often contrasted with unpaid, nonpaid, or free to emphasize the presence or absence of monetary compensation.