past Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun the time that has elapsed
    past times; yesteryear.
    • forget the past
  2. noun a earlier period in someone's life (especially one that they have reason to keep secret)
    • reporters dug into the candidate's past
  3. noun a verb tense that expresses actions or states in the past
    past tense.
  4. adjective earlier than the present time; no longer current
    • time past
    • his youth is past
    • this past Thursday
    • the past year
  5. adjective satellite of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office
    retiring; preceding.
    • a retiring member of the board
  6. adverb so as to pass a given point
    by.
    • every hour a train goes past

WordNet


Past adjective
Etymology
From Pass, v.
Definitions
  1. Of or pertaining to a former time or state; neither present nor future; gone by; elapsed; ended; spent; as, past troubles; past offences. "Past ages." Milton.
Past noun
Definitions
  1. A former time or state; a state of things gone by. "The past, at least, is secure." D. Webster.
    The present is only intelligible in the light of the past, often a very remote past indeed. Trench.
Past preposition
Definitions
  1. Beyond, in position, or degree; further than; beyond the reach or influence of. "Who being past feeling." Eph. iv. 19. "Galled past endurance." Macaulay.
    Until we be past thy borders. Num. xxi. 22.
    Love, when once past government, is consequently past shame. L'Estrange.
  2. Beyond, in time; after; as, past the hour.
    Is it not past two o'clock? Shak.
  3. Above; exceeding; more than. R.
    Not past three quarters of a mile. Shak.
    Bows not past three quarters of a yard long. Spenser.
Past adverb
Definitions
  1. By; beyond; as, he ran past.
    The alarum of drums swept past. Longfellow.

Webster 1913