Definition of Past

1. Noun. The time that has elapsed. "Forget the past"


2. Adjective. Earlier than the present time; no longer current. "The past year"

3. Adverb. So as to pass a given point. "Every hour a train goes past"
Exact synonyms: By

4. Noun. A earlier period in someone's life (especially one that they have reason to keep secret). "Reporters dug into the candidate's past"
Generic synonyms: Period, Period Of Time, Time Period
Group relationships: Life

5. Adjective. Of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office. "A retiring member of the board"
Exact synonyms: Preceding, Retiring
Similar to: Outgoing

6. Noun. A verb tense that expresses actions or states in the past.
Exact synonyms: Past Tense
Generic synonyms: Tense
Specialized synonyms: Preterit, Preterite

Definition of Past

1. a. Of or pertaining to a former time or state; neither present nor future; gone by; elapsed; ended; spent; as, past troubles; past offences.

2. n. A former time or state; a state of things gone by.

3. prep. Beyond, in position, or degree; further than; beyond the reach or influence of.

4. adv. By; beyond; as, he ran past.

Definition of Past

1. Noun. The period of time that has already happened, in contrast to the present and the future. ¹

2. Noun. (grammar) The past tense. ¹

3. Adjective. Having already happened; in the past; finished. (defdate from 14th c.) ¹

4. Adjective. (context: postmodifier) Following expressions of time to indicate how long ago something happened; ago. (defdate from 15th c.) ¹

5. Adjective. Of a period of time: having just gone by; previous. (defdate from 15th c.) ¹

6. Adjective. (grammar) Of a tense, expressing action that has already happened or a previously-existing state. (defdate from 18th c.) ¹

7. Adverb. in a direction that passes ¹

8. Preposition. beyond in place, quantity or time ¹

¹ Source: wiktionary.com

Definition of Past

1. time gone by [n -S]

Lexicographical Neighbors of Past

past (current term)
past(a)
past-master
past-participle
past-pointing
past-tense
past anterior
past continuous
past historic
past historic tense
past imperfect tense
past it
past iterative
past master
past paper

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