I agree with the criticism and hate when this term gets used, for the same reason. Most people just use "processed" to mean "bad" without thinking about it. I

I agree with the criticism and hate when this term gets used, for the same reason. Most people just use "processed" to mean "bad" without thinking about it. I think the closest you can get to a "real" definition is food that has added ingredients, usually oils or preservatives, not found in traditional cooking. Usually these are added more for reasons of shelf-life or in order to cram in extra taste, or both.