searched

Searched is the past tense and past participle of the verb search. It denotes the act of looking for something or examining something thoroughly, and it can apply to physical objects, records, data, or information. In everyday language, one might say, “I searched the room for my keys,” or, “The database was searched for relevant records.” As a participle, it is used in perfect tenses and passive constructions: “The files have been searched,” or “The area was thoroughly searched.”

Etymology of the verb traces back to Old French cercher, with first attestations in Middle English during the late medieval period. The modern form in English developed from this lineage, and today “search” is a common verb across many dialects of English.

Usage and contexts: In information retrieval and computing, searching refers to locating information within databases, files, or the web. The past tense is frequently used in documentation and logs, for example, “The user searched for ‘economic indicators’.” In law enforcement and security, a search can refer to examinations of persons, premises, or digital devices, with the past tense appearing in reports such as “The premises were searched.” Searched also appears in various descriptive phrases to indicate completed investigative or exploratory actions.

See also: search, searching, search engine, search algorithm.