Like New, Gently Used or Just Plain Used, What Does it All Really Mean?

If you've ever habituated an auction site, those words can be quite common. Honestly though, what do they mean? At the end of the day, doesn't it all just mean that they've been used previously? What makes "like new" better than "gently used"? Their can be a bigger difference between those terms than you might realize. In the end it all really depends on how used something is.

If you see an ad for something like new the general meaning would be that the item was only used once or twice, or that's all the seller wants to admit to. If it's a form of clothing item, maybe it's something that didn't fit. If it's an accessory, maybe the person tried it out and changed their mind. The meaning changes with the item it is describing. Sometimes "like new" can be how someone describes a gift they got, but they didn't want to keep. Instead of claiming it's a new item, they might just slap the title "like new" on it since it wouldn't really be considered new anymore, anyway.

Then we have the term "gently used." It can be deceiving. Those two words can be used to describe something almost never used, or an item that someone took good care of. For example: A gently used car could have only a few miles on it compared to it's age, or it could be in the same condition it would have been when it was new, even though it was used by someone more than a few times. In most cases, if you're looking for something at a discount price, gently used is the condition you would want the item to be in.

Then, of course, we have used. A very blunt term that can be used in a very general form. Sometimes people like to call their junk just simply used, or they can call their "like new" items used. Without seeing the condition an item is in, it is hard to know what exactly someone could mean by the word. A used bike, for example, could be a giant pile of rust bolted together or something that is in general used condition with minimal spots of rust on it.

As you can see, the simple word, "used," can take on many different levels of meanings. Some versions may be more specific, but they all generally mean the same thing in the end. They're not new. No matter how close to new they are, they've been used in some form. That doesn't mean it's bad though. At least by knowing the real meanings behind each term, it can help you decide what is really a good deal, and what is a big waste of time.