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
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
: so as to reach and go beyond a point near at hand
drove past
Synonyms
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
Hanna Kang, Orange County Register, 16 Nov. 2024
The trust division doesn’t seem to account for any of your sister’s past mortgage payments.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
Price also vowed changes last month after more than 1,000 cases at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland appeared languish past the state’s one-year statute of limitations for misdemeanor cases.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
Lucius must look to his past to find the strength to return Rome to its people.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 19 Nov. 2024
Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
In decades past, men thought that working long hours to provide for their families was what they were supposed to do, and therefore were less hands-on than your husband.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for past 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Adjective
Steel, a Seal Beach Republican seeking a third term, has shown GOP resilience in the Democratic-leaning district in past elections.
—Hanna Kang, Orange County Register, 16 Nov. 2024
The trust division doesn’t seem to account for any of your sister’s past mortgage payments.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 16 Nov. 2024
Preposition
Next week: Broomfield at Palmer Ridge, TBA No. 2 Montrose beat No. 15 Frederick, 44-22: Junior RB Elijah Womack found the end zone four times, including a fumble return touchdown that went 80-plus yards, to push Montrose (11-0) past upset-minded Frederick (8-4) and into a rematch with Mesa Ridge.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 17 Nov. 2024
Price also vowed changes last month after more than 1,000 cases at the Wiley W. Manuel Courthouse in downtown Oakland appeared languish past the state’s one-year statute of limitations for misdemeanor cases.
—Jakob Rodgers, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
Noun
Fukuhara plays Kimiko, a mute woman with a traumatic past, who gains superhuman strength, agility, and regenerative powers after being subjected to the experimental drug Compound V, using her abilities to fight alongside Billy Butcher (Karl Urban) and his vigilante team.
—Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Nov. 2024
Lucius must look to his past to find the strength to return Rome to its people.
—Julia Teti, WWD, 19 Nov. 2024
Adverb
Create content your ideal clients can't scroll past.
—Jodie Cook, Forbes, 21 Nov. 2024
In decades past, men thought that working long hours to provide for their families was what they were supposed to do, and therefore were less hands-on than your husband.
—Jeanne Phillips, The Mercury News, 17 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for past
Dictionary Entries Near past
Cite this Entry
“Past.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/past. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
past
1 of 4 adjective1
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 preposition1
: 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 noun1
: a former time or event
2
a
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
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