canned

adjective \ ˈkand \

Definition of canned

1 :preserved in a sealed can or jar

canned peaches

canned pumpkin

2 a :prepared or recorded in advance; especially :prepared in standardized form for nonspecific use or wide distribution

canned laughter

canned music

b :lacking originality or individuality as if mass-produced

a canned speech

3 slang :drunk 1a

See canned defined for English-language learners

See canned defined for kids

Examples of canned in a Sentence

The salesperson kept using the same canned phrases.
there's a canned quality to the screenplay that reminds you of countless other action movies

Recent Examples of canned from the Web

When the call for disaster relief supplies goes out, many are quick to donate canned food, blankets, and clothing, but there's one item that becomes a stark necessity in the wake of tragedy like Hurricane Harvey: diapers.

— Southern Living, "Hurricane Harvey Evacuees Need Diapers and Here's How You Can Help," 29 Aug. 2017
Stock up on flashlight batteries, water and canned food.

— roy berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "The Homeowner's Last-Minute Hurricane Prep Checklist," 25 Aug. 2017
The tax went into effect Wednesday and applies to nonalcoholic beverages that are either sugar- or artificially sweetened, including fountain drinks as well as bottled and canned beverages.

— becky yerak, chicagotribune.com, "McDonald's, Walgreens hit with lawsuits over Cook County soda pop tax," 8 Aug. 2017
Place a plate that fits inside the bowl atop the fruit, and weight the plate with canned goods or other weights.

— robin mather, charlotteobserver, "Icebox desserts get you out of the heat," 25 July 2017
The smaller, closet-sized room is filled with canned beans, canned fruit, instant oatmeal, peanut butter, granola bars and Cup Noodles.

— priscella vega, Glendale News-Press, "To stay nourished, Glendale College students turn to Food for Thought Pantry," 13 July 2017
Campbell, the nearly 150-year-old company known for canned goods, has struggled with changing consumer tastes and is expected to post declining sales for a third consecutive year.

— craig giammona, Bloomberg.com, "Campbell Soup Buys Pacific Foods for $700 Million," 6 July 2017
Bollicini sparkling cuvée and sparkling rosé ($10.99 per four-pack at Central Market) are newer canned options, both products of Italy and both with 11 percent alcohol by volume.

— star-telegram, "New downtown gems, shrimp food truck, canned wines top July’s DFW restaurant news menu," 5 July 2017
Before the movie begins at 9 p.m.,enjoy local bands and bites from local food trucks and beer, wineand canned margaritas are available at Crown Center Square.

— kansascity, kansascity.com, "Five free things to do on a summer weekend in KC [Partner]," 5 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'canned.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.