invited

Pluralinviteds

1. 1
   verb

   Simple past tense and past participle of invite.

   The committee invited three speakers to the conference.

   We were invited to the wedding but couldn't go.

   Note

   One regular -ed form does double duty. It is the simple past (they invited us), and it is also the participle that follows have (we have invited them) or be in the passive (we were invited). The participle carries every meaning of invite, including 'encourage' and 'attract'. A careless remark can therefore be said to have invited criticism, just as a host invited guests.

2. 2
   adjective

   Having been asked to attend an event, gathering, or occasion.

   The invited speakers gathered in the green room before the ceremony.

   Several invited dignitaries declined the reception at the last minute.

   Oppositeuninvited, unbidden

3. 3
   nounrarecountable

   A person who has been given an invitation.

   Similarguest, invitee

   Note

   A rare noun that turns the participle into a person, and it tends to appear in contrasting pairs. Sam Scholfield's Awkward (2011) sets inviteds against uninviteds when sorting out who should know about a wedding. The plural simply adds -s. Outside that kind of deliberate contrast, guest or invitee reads more naturally to most ears.

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