How to Use Send or Sent (Which is the Correct Word?)

What's the past tense of "send"?

The simple past tense of send is sent, and the past participle is also sent. Use sent for both simple past and past participle forms.

Definition of send

The Oxford English Dictionary defines send as "to cause something to go or be taken to a particular destination, especially by mail, email, or another delivery method."

• The past tense of send is sent.

• The past participle of send is sent.

Verb forms of 'send'

Is "send" a regular or irregular verb?

Send is an irregular verb. Its past tense and past participle form is sent, not sended. This verb follows a pattern where the final "d" changes to "t" in both the past tense and past participle.

When to use sent vs sended

The verb send uses the same form sent for both simple past tense and past participle forms. This is characteristic of many irregular verbs where the past tense and past participle are identical.

When used as a past participle, it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so sent can stand alone in sentences.

Remember, a participle always uses a helper verb, while the simple past tense stands alone as a complete verb form.

Sentence examples: send, sent, sent

Phrases with "send"

FAQs

Sources

1. "Send, V. (1)." Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, June 2025, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/6618323632.