past future perfect

1 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is traditionally formed in English with would have or should have and denotes an action or state completed at a time formerly in prospect (as would have finished in "on Monday I saw that by Friday he would have finished")

past future perfect

2 of 2

noun

1
: the past future perfect tense of a language
2
: a verb form in the past future perfect tense

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

past entry 1 + future perfect, adjective

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Dictionary Entries Near past future perfect

Cite this Entry

“Past future perfect.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/past%20future%20perfect. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

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