Deep-Rooted vs. Deep-Seated vs. Deep-Seeded (Grammar Rules)

There are some terms used so frequently and interchangeably by people and organizations that it’s easy to believe they’re all real terms. And I admit, when I first started investigating this grammar rule that I thought I’d learn when it’s most appropriate to use each term.

However, when it comes to “deep-rooted,” “deep-seated,” and “deep-seeded,” only two are real terms. The other is an impostor. So let’s take a look at which are the real terms and when to use each.

Deep-Rooted vs. Deep-Seated vs. Deep-Seeded

Deep-rooted is an adjective that describes someone or something that is deeply implanted or established. For instance, someone might say that playing the national anthem before sporting competitions is a deep-rooted tradition.

(How to Write Dates Correctly in Sentences.)

Deep-seated is an adjective that has two different meanings. In one instance, it can describe something that’s beneath the surface, like a “deep-seated pain.” In the other instance, “deep-seated” describes something that is firmly established. Often, this version is used to describe a rule, tradition, or opinion.

Deep-seeded, on the other hand, is the impostor term. While deeply planting a seed definitely creates a good visual, it’s not the term people mean to use when they use (unless maybe they’re discussing farming or March Madness college basketball brackets and seeding). 

Here are a couple examples of deep-rooted vs. deep-seated vs. deep-seeded:

Correct: There was so much deep-rooted animosity between the negotiators that they couldn’t even come to a consensus on what day to meet.
Correct: There was so much deep-seated animosity between the negotiators that they couldn’t even come to a consensus on what day to meet.
Incorrect: There was so much deep-seeded animosity between the negotiators that they couldn’t even come to a consensus on what day to meet.

Correct: Sarah told her doctor about a deep-seated pain in her thigh.
Incorrect: Sarah told her doctor about a deep-rooted pain in her thigh.
Incorrect: Sarah told her doctor about a deep-seeded pain in her thigh.

For the most part, deep-rooted and deep-seated can be used interchangeably, but deep-seeded should not be used. While seeds can be planted deep, it’s not until they take root that they become firmly established.

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