pre-owned

IPA/ˌpriː ˈəʊnd/
IPA/ˌpriː ˈəʊnd/

pre-owned — adjective

1. describes a product such as a car, piece of electronics, or household item that

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describes a product such as a car, piece of electronics, or household item that has had at least one owner before the person who is now buying it — usually sold at a lower price than a brand-new version but still in good working condition

例句

The Lim family chose a pre-owned SUV from a local dealer with a two-year warranty.

attributive use before noun (SUV)

Sofia bought a pre-owned laptop on an online marketplace and saved half the retail price.

collocation: pre-owned + electronics

同義詞
  • used

    more direct and common in everyday speech; 'pre-owned' is a softer, marketing-oriented alternative

  • secondhand

    emphasises that the item has passed from one person to another, often through informal channels like charity shops or private sales

  • pre-loved

    more emotional and affectionate euphemism, especially for clothing, books, and toys

反義詞
  • new

    brand-new; never previously owned or used

文法句型

pre-owned + noun

用法筆記

Pre-owned is almost always used attributively (directly before the noun it describes). It is a commercial euphemism that appears frequently in advertising for cars, electronics, and furniture — slightly more formal than 'used'.

常見錯誤

I sold my pre-owned phone to a classmate.
I sold my used phone to a classmate.
💡'Pre-owned' sounds too commercial for casual person-to-person sales; 'used' is more natural in everyday conversation.