texted

Texted is the past tense and past participle of the verb text, meaning to send a text message via a mobile device or a messaging application. The term originates from the noun text, which, with the advent of short message service (SMS), became commonly used as a verb to describe sending such messages. The corresponding present tense is text, and the gerund is texting.

Text messages are short messages transmitted over cellular networks or Internet-based platforms. To text someone means to send them a text message; to have texted someone indicates that the message has already been sent. In casual speech, people often use "text" as both a noun and a verb, e.g., "I got your text" or "I texted you earlier."

Texting spread rapidly after the 1990s and became a dominant form of communication worldwide, particularly among younger users. It influences language by favoring brief phrasing and the use of acronyms and emojis, though formal contexts may prefer more explicit phrasing.

Technically, text messaging initially referred to SMS, a standard for sending short messages over mobile networks, but the term has broadened to include messages sent via Internet-based apps on smartphones and tablets. In this wider sense, "texted" can apply to messages sent through both traditional SMS and modern messaging services.

See also: SMS, text messaging, instant messaging.