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
Adjective
Like Clay, many men carry the weight of their past experiences into their relationships, impacting their ability to connect deeply and authentically with their partners. Essence, 16 Mar. 2024 So far, Curiosity has found evidence in several locations of past liquid water, minerals that may provide chemical energy, and intriguingly, a variety of organic carbon molecules. Amy J. Williams, Discover Magazine, 16 Mar. 2024 The city is a major site in the U.S. for Irish heritage and culture thanks to the large number of Irish immigrants who moved to the city in centuries past, and St. Patrick's Day has become a way to celebrate one of the things that makes Boston unique. Emily Deletter, USA TODAY, 16 Mar. 2024 Online observers have studied this photo and allege that it, too, was manipulated somehow, drawing comparisons to a past photo of the princess and saying that her image had been Photoshopped into that picture. Sydney Lake, Fortune, 16 Mar. 2024 These assessment tools consider various factors such as age, race or ethnicity, history of past breast biopsies, and familial breast cancer history. Kristina Behr, Parents, 15 Mar. 2024 Unlike past bills, the Security and Freedom Enhancement (SAFE) Act does not require the FBI to get a warrant merely to search the 702 database for US communications. Dell Cameron, WIRED, 15 Mar. 2024 How will Black Mirror season 7 connect to past seasons? Kelsie Gibson, Peoplemag, 15 Mar. 2024 Interrupting the process are memories of Bird's past relationships — with his mother, his wives, his friends. The Indianapolis Star, 14 Mar. 2024
Preposition
The single-engine plane crashed off the eastbound lanes of Nashville’s Interstate 40 just past the Charlotte Pk exit, the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department shared in updates posted on X (formerly Twitter). Escher Walcott, Peoplemag, 5 Mar. 2024 There were other obstacles to battle past such as complicated contractual wrangles and piracy problems to secure their master tapes sold to a former manager and Zambia Music Parlour. Tracy Kawalik, SPIN, 5 Mar. 2024 Once past the driveway’s gate, a landscaped gravel driveway leads to the circular motor court, where stone steps lead to the home’s entry. Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 In another neighborhood, the bloodied bodies of two men with their hands tied behind their backs lay face down as residents walked past roadblocks set up with burning tires. Evens Sanon and Pierre-Richard Luxama, USA TODAY, 4 Mar. 2024 The Celtics pushed the lead past the 50-point mark in the third quarter before Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla also turned to his bench for the rest of the game. Sam Joseph, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 As Ohno led us through the basement halls near the locker rooms, past the players’ cafeteria, and into the bullpen, the boys got more and more excited. Helen Schulman, Travel + Leisure, 2 Mar. 2024 Up the dirt road from the border wall, past saguaros and organ pipe cactuses, U.S. Border Patrol agents and other federal agents brought a handful of migrants to a cluster of tents for field processing before taking them to the Ajo Station. Sarah Lapidus, The Arizona Republic, 2 Mar. 2024 First, the Jaguars will have to get past the winner of Riverdale Ridge-Colorado Academy in next Friday’s Final Four. Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2024
Noun
The musician’s fate, when the filmmakers finally reveal it, is imbued with slow-rolling horror and a hideous sense of irony — a warning to the present as well as a glimpse of a shameful past. Ty Burr, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 The fit and finish—already a point of pride for the Michigan builder—was at another level, while the versatile layout was in line with Tiara’s innovative past. Kevin Koenig, Robb Report, 5 Mar. 2024 Desert environments are typically well-preserved in the geological record, and dunes leave behind clues about their distant past in layers of compressed sandstone. Mindy Weisberger, CNN, 4 Mar. 2024 Sarah Everard Killing: An inquiry into the murder of the young woman in 2021 by a London police officer found that the police force missed signs of a troubling past that should have prevented him from being hired. Claire Moses, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 Hilary Swank is opening up about a scary situation from her past. Julia Moore, Peoplemag, 22 Feb. 2024 Harvey Keitel plays an Auschwitz survivor who recalls the demons of his past and falling in love in a hellish Nazi death camp in the trailer for The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the Peacock and Sky limited series that unveiled a trailer on Thursday. Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 22 Feb. 2024 Spend some time traipsing around Ibiza Town, a labyrinth of bustling shops and restaurants with an ancient past seen in its cobbled stone streets and castle that looms large over the island. Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Feb. 2024 Suspect has lengthy list of criminal convictions McDougal has a lengthy criminal past with convictions for violent crimes and another for enticing a child, according to court records in several Texas counties. Rosa Flores, CNN, 21 Feb. 2024
Adverb
In years past, the NCAA March Madness festival has seen performances from Rihanna, Imagine Dragons, Katy Perry, Zac Brown Band, Lady A, Weezer, Bruce Springsteen, Tim McGraw, The Killers, LL Cool J, Kendrick Lamar, Fall Out Boy, Twenty-One Pilots, Pitbull and more. Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Mar. 2024 In years past, the promotion offered a flat 50 percent off on all tickets. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Mar. 2024 His coffin was quickly closed and people were not allowed to walk past and pay their respects. Nick Spicer, NPR, 1 Mar. 2024 Much of this shift has happened because relief pitchers are so much more effective than in years past. Jared Wyllys, Forbes, 29 Feb. 2024 In years past, Commerford has voiced many fringe theories, including his belief that the moon landing was fake, and ISIS beheading videos weren’t real. Andy Greene, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024 The opposition is cowed, suppressed and scattered; fewer Russians are willing to risk taking to the streets than in years past. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2024 What’s your favorite, only-in-Berlin moment from festivals/markets past? Being able to be on a red carpet in my ‘smart’ sneakers What’s something every visitor to Berlin should see? Mia Galuppo, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 Feb. 2024 The sting of Oscar nomination mornings past, when anticipation was met with silence, is not foreign to Giamatti. Clayton Davis, Variety, 16 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'past.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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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