tendered
C1Formal / Legal / Financial
Definition
Meaning
The past tense and past participle of 'tender': to offer formally or to present something, especially an offer, resignation, or money, in a formal, deliberate, or gentle manner.
The state or act of having been formally offered. It can refer to submitting bids, giving notice of resignation, or handling something with care.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
As a verb, the primary sense is 'to offer formally'; secondary senses relate to handling gently or offering as payment. Most common in passive constructions and formal contexts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
In US English, 'tendered' is strongly associated with legal/financial bids (e.g., construction bids). In UK English, it is also heavily used in railway contexts (tendered their resignation as a signalman) and for 'tendering a cheque'. The word is used in both but with slightly higher frequency in UK formal/professional writing.
Connotations
Formality, official procedure, deliberate action.
Frequency
Medium-low frequency in both varieties, but more likely encountered in specific professional domains (law, finance, procurement).
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
NP tendered NP (to NP)NP tendered NP as NPNP was tenderedNP tendered for NPVocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To tender one's resignation (formal)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used for submitting bids for projects or formally offering to purchase a company.
Academic
Rare; may appear in legal/economic texts discussing contract bids.
Everyday
Very rare in casual speech; 'offered' or 'gave' is preferred.
Technical
Common in procurement, contract law, and finance (e.g., legal tender, tendering process).
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The contractor tendered for the council's new housing development.
- She tendered her resignation after the audit findings.
- He tendered a £50 note in payment.
- The evidence was tendered in court.
American English
- Three firms tendered bids for the highway project.
- The CEO tendered his resignation effective immediately.
- Payment must be tendered in US dollars.
- The document was tendered as Exhibit A.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He tendered his resignation yesterday.
- The company tendered a bid for the new school.
- After much deliberation, the director tendered her formal apology to the board.
- Several construction companies have tendered for the government contract.
- The defendant's counsel tendered a key piece of evidence that altered the course of the trial.
- Having tendered their final offer, the acquisition team awaited the shareholders' response.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a formal TENDER (like a ship that supplies a larger ship) DELIVERing an OFFER. 'Tendered' sounds like 'ended' with a 'tr'—when the bidding ended, the best offer was TENDERED.
Conceptual Metaphor
OFFERING IS PRESENTING AN OBJECT (formally handing over a document or sum).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'нежный' (tender as in gentle). 'Tendered' is from the formal/official sense of 'tender' (предлагать, вносить).
- It does not mean 'to care for' (ухаживать).
- In financial contexts, 'legal tender' is 'законное платежное средство', but 'tendered' as a verb is 'предложил к оплате'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'tendered' in casual contexts where 'offered' is correct.
- Incorrect: 'He tendered me a coffee.' Correct: 'He offered me a coffee.'
- Confusing 'tendered' (verb) with 'tender' (adjective) as in 'tender meat'.
- Misspelling as 'tenderred' (double r).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'tendered' most appropriately used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is relatively formal and is most commonly used in business, legal, and financial contexts. In everyday conversation, people usually say 'offered', 'gave', or 'handed in'.
'Tendered' implies a formal, official, or deliberate presentation, often as part of a procedure (like a bid or resignation). 'Offered' is the general term and can be used in any context, from casual to formal.
Yes, but usually in a formal or ceremonial context, such as 'tendering a cheque', 'tendering payment', or 'tendering a document as evidence'. It is not used for casually handing someone an everyday object.
Most frequently, yes, as the action of tendering is often reported after it happens. However, the base form 'tender' is used in present and future tenses (e.g., 'I will tender my resignation'). The form 'tendered' is the simple past and past participle.