already been held

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "already been held" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an event or meeting has taken place at some point in the past. Example: "The meeting has already been held, so we will not be discussing it again."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science & Research

Academia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Services have already been held.

The New York Times

The first two have already been held.

The Economist

Four meetings have already been held.

Nature

Hundreds of British insolvencies have already been held up.

The Economist

Several benefits have already been held near Murray's home.

The New York Times - Sports

Twenty of these meetings have already been held.

The New York Times

Taliban spokesmen could not be immediately reached to confirm whether any meetings had already been held.

The New York Times

A number of fund-raisers for Haiti have already been held.

The New York Times - Food

A cousin had already been held for six months and tortured.

The New York Times

A party with elderly Warholites had already been held Tuesday evening.

The New York Times

Several meetings have already been held between Mr Cameron, Mr Clegg and Mr Lansley.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "already been held", ensure the context clearly indicates what event or item is being referred to. Avoid ambiguity by specifying the subject.

Common error

Avoid using "already been held" when an active voice construction is more appropriate. Sometimes, specifying who or what 'held' the event adds clarity and impact. For example, instead of "The meeting has already been held", consider "The committee already held the meeting".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "already been held" functions as a verb phrase in the passive voice, indicating that an action (holding) has already been completed. As Ludwig AI confirms, this phrase is grammatically sound and widely used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

48%

Academia

19%

Science & Research

17%

Less common in

Formal & Business

12%

Science

3%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "already been held" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression indicating that an event, meeting, or item has been possessed or completed in the past. As Ludwig AI validates, this phrase serves to communicate the timing and completion status of an action and is versatile across different registers, maintaining a neutral to formal tone. The phrase is frequently found in "News & Media", "Academia", and "Science & Research". When using it, ensure clear context and consider whether an active voice construction might be more impactful. Alternative expressions include "already occurred", "previously taken place", and "was conducted previously".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has already occurred

Replaces "been held" with "occurred", focusing on the event taking place.

has previously taken place

Substitutes "already" with "previously" and "been held" with "taken place", adding formality.

was conducted previously

Uses a passive voice construction with "conducted" to emphasize the action.

was already carried out

Emphasizes the completion of an action with "carried out".

has transpired earlier

Replaces "already" with "earlier" and uses the more formal "transpired" for "been held".

is now in the past

Shifts the focus to the current state of being in the past.

has come to pass

A more idiomatic way of saying something has happened, replacing "been held".

is a thing of the past

Highlights that something is no longer current or relevant.

has reached completion

Focuses on the completed state of an event rather than its occurrence.

is complete

Simple and direct way to state that something is finished.

FAQs

How can I use "already been held" in a sentence?

The phrase "already been held" indicates that an event, meeting, or item has been possessed, conducted, or completed at some point in the past. For example, "The conference has "already been held", so there's no need to register".

What can I say instead of "already been held"?

You can use alternatives like "already occurred", "previously taken place", or "was conducted previously" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "already was held" instead of "already been held"?

No, "already was held" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is ""already been held"", which uses the present perfect passive voice.

What's the difference between "already been held" and "currently being held"?

"Already been held" indicates that an event has finished, while "already being held" suggests an event is in progress. For example, "The meeting has "already been held" (finished), but the next one is "currently being held" (in progress)".