the past
noun
1
: an earlier time : the time before the present
happy memories of the past
In the past, there was a company luncheon every month.
2
grammar
: a verb tense that is used to refer to the past : the past tense
The past of "walk" is "walked."
Examples of the past in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The competitive part in the past was about teams wanting enough wins to become bowl-eligible.
—
Seth Emerson, The Athletic, 4 Mar. 2025
The late Beverly Hills 90210 star — who passed away in July 2024 at age 53 after a years-long battle with cancer — was notably missing from the 97th Academy Awards' tribute to industry greats who have died over the past year.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
While the Blackpink star has come close to the summit in the past, this frame marks her first trip to the top.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The announcement of an app is a surprise given that, in the past, the website eschewed being part of the App Store given Apple’s stringent nudity requirements.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
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.
Seth Emerson, The Athletic, 4 Mar. 2025
The late Beverly Hills 90210 star — who passed away in July 2024 at age 53 after a years-long battle with cancer — was notably missing from the 97th Academy Awards' tribute to industry greats who have died over the past year.
—Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 4 Mar. 2025
While the Blackpink star has come close to the summit in the past, this frame marks her first trip to the top.
—Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 3 Mar. 2025
The announcement of an app is a surprise given that, in the past, the website eschewed being part of the App Store given Apple’s stringent nudity requirements.
—Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 3 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
Cite this Entry
“The past.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20past. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share