canned

adjective

ˈkand 

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 sense 1a

Synonyms

• apish
• emulative
• epigonic
• epigonous
• formulaic
• imitative
• mimetic
• mimic
• slavish
• unoriginal

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 on the Web

The canned music was licensed from a British sound library that helped the 1920s movie business evolve past silent films. —ArsTechnica, 29 Apr. 2025

Over the last decade or so, canned beer has come to dominate craft beer. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 21 Apr. 2025

Mix a Creamy Sauce There’s no canned soup in this squash casserole. —Patricia S York, Southern Living, 2 Mar. 2025

The milk is usually condensed milk and/or evaporated milk , but this recipe utilizes canned coconut milk to make the halaya extra rich and bring out the nutty flavor of the yam. —Katlyn Moncada, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for canned

• armband
• backhand
• bandstand
• baseband
• broadband
• command
• cropland
• demand
• disband
• dreamland
• expand
• farmhand

Kids Definition

canned

adjective

ˈkand 

1

: preserved in a sealed can or jar

canned peaches

2

a

: prepared or recorded in advance

especially : prepared in one form for ordinary use or wide distribution

canned laughter

b

: lacking originality as if mass-produced

a canned speech