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For example: "Freed memory can be reused by another computer programs"?

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There is a definition for freed that lists it as an adjective. – Matt Эллен Feb 24 '12 at 14:56
@MattЭллен It lists the word 'free' as an adjective, not 'freed'. There is no example using 'freed' – galymzhan Feb 24 '12 at 17:04
So it does. My mistake. – Matt Эллен Feb 24 '12 at 17:19

closed as general reference by FumbleFingers, Matt Эллен, Mahnax, jwpat7, simchona♦ Feb 24 '12 at 19:58

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1 Answer

up vote 5 down vote accepted

Of course it can. Take for example the poem title The Latest Freed Man, by that stylistic arbiter of elegance himself, Wallace Stevens.

Verbs in the past tense often form adjectives:

reclaimed land
exhausted stores
unsated appetites
broken bones

And on and on.

Addendum

The parts of speech in English have a very chameleon nature (note use of noun chameleon as an adjective in this sentence). Now consider this odd journey of a noun to an adjective to a verb to a past-tense verb used as an adjective:

mud (noun) The water was full of mud.
muddy (adjective) The water was muddy.
muddy (verb) Don't muddy the water!
muddied (verb, past tense) Aww, you went and muddied the water, even after I told you not to!
muddied (adjective) Now the muddied water makes it impossible to see the fish.

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