had been divorced vs was divorced

Both "had been divorced" and "was divorced" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Had been divorced" is used when referring to a past event that happened before another past event, while "was divorced" is used to simply state that someone got divorced in the past.

Last updated: March 24, 2024 • 4376 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"had been divorced"

This phrase is used to describe a past event that occurred before another past event. It indicates that the divorce happened at some point in the past.

Examples:

By the time she met him, she had been divorced for five years.
He had been divorced twice before he turned 40.

Show examples from the web [+]

I had been divorced for well over a year.
Look, I had just been divorced... and I wasn't dating anybody, so...
Carmen, you've been divorced for two years now.
I've been divorced seven times.
You can't have a Queen of England who's been divorced.
I've been divorced for a while now.
We've been divorced for a year. I'm not his custodian.
Cause Meredith has been divorced like, twice.
They've been divorced a year.
She's been divorced for, like, 20 minutes.
And I've been divorced twice.
Come on, the guy's been divorced three times.
Walter, you've been divorced seven months.
I was afraid to marry you because you'd been divorced.
I've been divorced from that nightmare for years.
We've been divorced almost four years.
No one in my family's ever been divorced before.
Guess the fact that I've been divorced.
I've been divorced for all of six months.
Chick, Jules and I have been divorced for years.

Alternatives:

had divorced
had gotten divorced
had ended their marriage
had split up

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"was divorced"

This phrase is used to simply state that someone got divorced in the past. It does not imply any specific time frame or sequence of events.

Examples:

She was divorced last year.
He was divorced twice in his lifetime.

Show examples from the web [+]

Turns out Neeley was divorced with a 12-year-old daughter.
The man who lived here was divorced.
When I was divorced this whole patch just fell right into place.
I lived there until I... I was divorced.
Did you ever find out if Carrie was divorced?
And my sister was divorced and she has 3 children
His Army file claimed that he was divorced with one dependent.
No, he was divorced, and i think for a long time.
You know, he mentioned he was divorced last night.
Well, as far as I know, he was divorced.
he was divorced and of a Yugoslav origin, with a Merv Hughes moustache.
You said that dennis rader, the btk killer, Was divorced and impotent.
Judith was divorced from what you have.
Her questionnaire said she was divorced.
Says here she was divorced in 2005.
He was divorced a couple of times.
Seven months later, I was divorced.
You'd have thought one Of them was divorced.
I knew he was divorced, but...
He was divorced from his wife on the grounds of extreme cruelty.

Alternatives:

got divorced
ended their marriage
split up

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had been divorced vs was divorced