responded

Responded is the past tense and past participle of the verb respond. It means to say something in reply to a question, request, remark, or stimulus, or to react to a situation. It is used when describing actions that have already occurred, for example: "She responded to the email promptly" and "The crowd responded with applause."

The word derives from the Latin respondere, formed from re- 'back' and spondere 'to pledge' or 'to promise,' passing through Old French and Middle English. The modern form appeared as English evolved in the early medieval period.

Grammatically, respond is a regular verb; its forms are respond, responds, responding, and responded. It is typically used with the preposition to when indicating what is being answered or reacted to: respond to a question, respond to a proposal. In nouns, the related terms 'response' and 'responsiveness' cover the act or ability to respond; 'respondent' refers to a person who answers, such as in surveys.

Usage notes: respond emphasizes providing an answer or reaction relevant to a stimulus, rather than merely stating a fact. In contrast, 'reply' or 'answer' may be preferred in some contexts. The past tense 'responded' is common in formal and informal writing alike, including journalism, business communications, and research reporting.

See also: response, respondent, responsiveness.