past

1 of 4

adjective

1
a
: ago
12 years past
started working on this project 10 years past
b
: just gone or elapsed
for the past few months
I spoke with him this past weekend.
2
: having existed or taken place in a period before the present : bygone
In past winters, we have had much more snow.
3
: of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is expressive of elapsed time and that in English is usually formed by internal vowel change (as in sang) or by the addition of a suffix (as in laughed)
4
: having served as a specified officer in an organization
past president
past champions

past

2 of 4

preposition

1
a
: beyond the age for or of
past playing with dolls
b
: after
half past two
2
a
: at the farther side of : beyond
b
: in a course or direction going close to and then beyond
drove past the house
3
obsolete : more than
4
: beyond the capacity, range, or sphere of
past belief

past

3 of 4

noun

1
a
: time gone by
b
: something that happened or was done in the past
regret the past
2
a
: the past tense of a language
b
: a verb form in the past tense
3
: a past life, history, or course of action
especially : one that is kept secret
pastless adjective

past

4 of 4

adverb

: so as to reach and go beyond a point near at hand
drove past

Examples of past in a Sentence

Adjective She was hired based on her past experience in sales. a past editor of the newspaper Preposition The office is two blocks past the intersection. Turn left just past the stairs. We drove past the house. I must have walked right past her. He looked past me to the next customer. Noun Past, present, and future are all linked together. The past of “walk” is “walked.” Adverb Several weeks went past before we heard from her.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Adjective
The facility believed his past behavior stemmed from his attempts to self-medicate his troubles. Alex Heigl, People.com, 23 Jan. 2025 Further Reading See the archive for past and future posts. New York Times Games, New York Times, 23 Jan. 2025
Preposition
Evans appears poised to blow past previous career highs of 11 goals and 29 points. Chris Johnston, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025 Technical Leadership is unique because most of these capabilities are measured by current and past technical accomplishments within one's discipline. Tony Gambill, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025
Noun
There’s the tightly wound mom, Rebekah (Lucy Liu); the depressed dad, Chris (Chris Sullivan), who’s distracted by some unspecified transgression in his past; and two teenage kids: Tyler (Eddy Maday) and Chloe (Callina Liang), both of whom are mourning the recent, tragic loss of a friend. David Sims, The Atlantic, 25 Jan. 2025 This watch is a celebration of the history of Cartier, and one that successfully reclaims its watchmaking past. Blake Buettner, Robb Report, 24 Jan. 2025
Adverb
Tom's mother Laurie Pelphrey also featured in the slides, which included a ride on a carousel horse and a video of her seeing Elsa from Frozen glide past on a parade float. Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 24 Jan. 2025 As in years past, Sing Us Home, co-produced by Rising Sun Presents, and presented by Philly radio station WXPN, will highlight local food — Federal Donuts, Humpty’s Dumplings, and Winnie’s are all on the map; Philly cheesesteaks are sure to be available. Joseph Hudak, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for past 

Word History

Etymology

Adjective, Preposition, Noun, and Adverb

Middle English, from past participle of passen to pass

First Known Use

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Preposition

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adverb

1799, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of past was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near past

Cite this Entry

“Past.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/past. Accessed 30 Jan. 2025.

Kids Definition

past

1 of 4 adjective
1
a
: ago
10 years past
b
: just gone by
for the past few months
2
: having existed or taken place in a period before the present
past customs
3
: of, relating to, or being a verb tense that in English is usually formed by internal vowel change (as in sang) or by the addition of a suffix (as in laughed) and that expresses time gone by
4
: no longer serving
a past president

past

2 of 4 preposition
1
: beyond entry 2 sense 1
past 50 years old
half past ten
2
: in a course by and then beyond
the road goes past the house

past

3 of 4 noun
1
: a former time or event
2
b
: a verb form in the past tense
3
: a past life or history
especially : a past life that is secret or questionable

past

4 of 4 adverb
: so as to pass by
a deer ran past

More from Merriam-Webster on past

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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