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past
/pæst/
time gone by
She hasn't seen her childhood friend in the past five years.
The time before now is being referred to.
general
Gone by in time; no longer existing.
The past few months have been difficult for everyone.
The time that has already happened is being described.
formal
The time or a period of time before the moment of speaking or writing.
In the past, people communicated by letters.
A historical reference is being made.
general
Beyond in position or time.
The bus station is just past the supermarket.
A spatial reference is being made.
Collocations
in the pastreferring to a previous timepast few daysthe most recent dayspast experienceprevious work or life experiences
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Distinguishing 'past' as preposition vs. adjective
As a preposition, 'past' indicates movement beyond (e.g., 'The car drove past the house'). As an adjective, it describes something that has already occurred (e.g., 'in past years').
Gold Rule
Past vs. Passed
'Past' refers to time or position, while 'passed' is the past tense of 'pass' (e.g., 'She passed the exam').
Word Origin
From Middle English 'passed', past participle of 'passen' (to pass), from Old French 'passé', from Latin 'passus' (past, gone by), past participle of 'pandere' (to spread out).
Usage Notes
Used as a noun, adjective, preposition, or adverb. As a preposition, it indicates movement beyond a point in space or time (e.g., 'walk past the store'). As an adjective, it describes something that has happened or existed before now.
Word Breakdown
past
gone by in time
rootEnglish Dictionary