What does past mean?
Past describes what comes before the present time, whether in history, personal experience, grammar, or a sequence of events. As an adjective, it can refer to a previous era, an earlier life, or something that has ended: 'The document recounts the region's past.' As a noun, 'the past' means the period before now, and it can also refer to a person's earlier experiences. As a preposition or adverb, past indicates movement or position beyond a particular time, boundary, or point. The word is common in everyday British and US English and can carry a neutral historical meaning or, depending on context, a more reflective or sometimes negative association with former events. It is also important in grammar as the label for forms expressing completed action or action occurring before another event.
Relating to a time before the present, or no longer current.
"They discussed the past and future of the organization."
The time or period before the present, or a person's earlier experiences.
"He was willing to talk about his past but avoided discussing his childhood."
Beyond a particular time, point, or limit.
"The deadline is past, so we must revise the plan."
Beyond a particular time, point, or quantity.
"She walked past the entrance without looking up."
The plural is uncommon; the singular 'past' is standard in expressions such as 'the past' and 'a person's past.'
"The novel explores the political pasts of several former leaders."
The word past originally suggested something spread out or extended beyond a point, which is why it came to mean what lies beyond the present.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does past come from?
The word comes through Middle English from Old French past, which was borrowed from Latin pastus, meaning 'gone by' or 'extended.' Latin pastus was originally a past participle associated with pandere, 'to spread out' or 'extend,' and the English word developed its sense of something lying before or beyond a point. Its wider family includes cognates such as pass, compass, expand, and expend, all reflecting the same Latin root of spreading or extending.
How past is actually used
The adjective and preposition forms are standard in British and US English. As a noun, past most often appears in the expression 'the past'; 'pasts' is uncommon, while 'past' can also mean previous experience or a former period in a person's life. In American English, 'past' is also widely used as an adverb meaning beyond a point, as in 'drive past the exit'.
Easily confused with past
Past is generally an adjective or preposition describing something belonging to an earlier time, while passed is the past participle of pass and describes something that has gone through, completed, or been delivered.