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in the past
/ɪn ðə pæst/
at an earlier time
She traveled to many countries in the past.
She traveled to many countries before the present time.
general
at an earlier time, before now
He worked as a teacher in the past.
He worked as a teacher before his current job.
In the past, people communicated by letters.
Before modern technology, people used letters to communicate.
Often used to contrast with the present or future.
Collocations
in the past few yearsduring the recent pastin the past tensegrammar tense referring to past events
Antonyms
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Time Reference
Use 'in the past' to refer to a general time before now, without specifying exact dates.
Gold Rule
Avoid Redundancy
Do not use 'in the past' with words like 'before' or 'previously' in the same sentence, as it can be redundant.
Word Origin
Combination of the preposition 'in' and the noun phrase 'the past', where 'past' comes from Old English 'pæst' meaning 'time gone by'.
Usage Notes
This phrase is commonly used to refer to events or situations that occurred before the present moment. It can be used in both formal and informal contexts.
Word Breakdown
in
expressing location or time
prepositionthe
definite article
determinerpast
time that has gone by
nounEnglish Dictionary