focussed

English

Alternative forms

• focused

Adjective

focussed (comparative more focussed, superlative most focussed)

1. (British) Alternative spelling of focused
   • 1961 February, “Talking of Trains: Collision at Newcastle”, in Trains Illustrated, page 76:

     When first sighted on the curve, outside the focussed beam, the signal aspects were faint and difficult to identify in a confused background.

Antonyms

• unfocussed

Verb

focussed

1. (British) simple past and past participle of focus
   • 1964 November, “LMR under fire in the NW”, in Modern Railways, page 355:

     Criticism focussed particularly on the services to and from Blackpool.

Usage notes

• The spelling focused is much more common in the US but also more common in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.
• The Oxford English Dictionary describes the spelling focussed as irregular.
• The spelling focussed is a widely seen UK spelling but focused, (focuses, focusing) is more common in prestige publications.
• The spelling focussed is nowadays more common in Canada and New Zealand than in the UK.