Sent vs Delivered: Difference and Comparison

The word ‘sent’ and ‘delivered’ have completely different meanings. The word ‘sent’ is used when a message has been sent from one side and is to be received by the receiver. Delivered and sent are frequently used to indicate message status. The status ‘delivered’ stands for completion of the process.

Key Takeaways

1. “Sent” indicates that a message has left the sender’s device, while “Delivered” means the message has reached the recipient’s device.
2. “Delivered” status confirms successful transmission, whereas “Sent” only implies the message is in transit.
3. A message can be marked “Sent” but not “Delivered” if there are connectivity issues or the recipient’s device is off or unreachable.

Sent vs Delivered

Sent is the act of sending something to the intended recipient, which involves preparing it for shipment, filling out forms, and paying fees. Delivered in the act of successfully receiving an item, which may involve signing for a package or confirming receipt of an electronic message or file.

The word ‘sent’ in the past and past participle tense of the word ‘send’. The word ‘send’ is used when an object or message is ready to be received by the consumer or recipient. It indicates the start of the delivery process. After writing an email or message, when you hit the send button on the mobile screen, then the message status shows ‘sent’.

The status ‘delivered’ implies that the message of the object from the sender has been successfully reached the intended person or destination. ‘Delivered’ stands for the completion of the entire process of sending and receiving. When the message status of your phone shows ‘delivered’, that means the message is received but not yet read by the recipient.

Comparison Table

Parameters of Comparison	Sent	Delivered
Meaning	‘Sent’ implies that a message or object is being transported to its destination.	The term ‘delivered’ denotes that a message was successfully received by the receiver.
Grammatical use	‘Sent’ is used as a verb in a sentence.	It is used as an adjective or a verb in a sentence.
Tense	It is the simple past tense and past participle of the word ‘send’.	It is the simple past tense and past participle of ‘deliver’.
Status	This status implies the beginning of the sending process.	It stands for the completion of the process.
Sentence example	She sent her application for the job.	The letter is not delivered.
Message indicator	One checkmark.	Double checkmark.

What is Sent?

‘Sent’ is a status that stands for initiating the message or email sent to the recipient. It means the object or the message is submitted for delivery. After writing any message in your inbox, if you hit the send button, the message will be received by the server. It also indicates that the message sending is in process.

It is the verb ‘send’ and past participle tense. ‘Sent means the beginning of the delivery process. When someone sends a letter, it means it’s set off on a journey to another person. When you buy something on the internet, the seller tells you that the item has been sent. It means the shipping process has been started and will end with the product’s delivery.

When an object has been sent, it implies that the object is being transported to its destination and the journey is not yet finished. If you say that “I sent the letter to her”, that means the letter is on its way to being received. The word ‘sent’ gives the idea that something was directed towards a specific destination. Some symbols or indications are used to identify a message’s ‘sent’ status. One checkmark on the inbox message stands for the ‘sent’ status.

What is Delivered?

‘Delivered’ refers to the message or an object that has been received by the receiver. In the case of platforms like Facebook Messenger, the word ‘delivered’ means that the message has successfully reached to the recipient’s device and has already been downloaded. Now the message is ready to be read by the recipient.

When someone sends a letter and it is delivered, that means the letter is now at the address of the intended recipient, and she or he can get the letter and read it. The word ‘delivered’ implies the past and past participle tense of the word ‘deliver’. Some messaging platforms use some icons to indicate the ‘delivered’ status, such as a double checkmark or a filled-in blue circle within a checkmark.

When a message shows the status ‘delivered’, that means the recipient is active on the messenger. This status means the message reaches the inbox of the recipient. Additionally, when you buy something on the internet, and the status of the item shows ‘delivered’, that means the product has been successfully reached the intended address. This is the ending of the entire process of sending and receiving.

Main Differences Between Sent and Delivered

1. ‘Sent’ is the past tense and past participle tense of the verb ‘send’. On the other hand, ‘delivered’ is the simple past and past participle tense of the word ‘deliver’.
2. The word ‘sent’ is used in a sentence as a verb. On the other hand, the word ‘delivered’ is used in a sentence as a verb or an adjective.
3. ‘Sent’ stands for the starting of the delivery process. On the other hand, ‘delivered’ means completing the sending and delivery process.
4. ‘Sent’ means the message is on its way to reach or yet to be reached. On the other hand, ‘delivered’ means the message or an object is reached its destination.
5. In the messaging system, one ‘tick mark’ on the send message indicates that the message has reached the server but has not yet been delivered to the intended person. On the other hand, double checkmarks symbolize that the message is delivered to the intended device.

References

1. https://search.proquest.com/openview/00ee3d1340d8f1b9a48eb96bad68eb99/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=47713
2. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14724040208668118