# past

/ˈpæst/ (US) · /pˈɑːst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/past
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. time gone by

noun · CEFR A1

the time that happened before now.

For teachers: the period of time that has already occurred, as opposed to the present and the future.

- In the past, people used to travel everywhere by horse and carriage.
- Historians often debate how much our understanding of the past is shaped by the biases of the present.

### 2. grammar tense

noun · CEFR B1 · Technical

the form of a verb used to talk about things that already happened.

For teachers: the grammatical tense used to express an action that has already happened or a state that previously existed.

- The teacher explained how to change the verb from the present to the past.
- In English, the simple past is typically formed by adding the suffix '-ed' to the base form of regular verbs.

Usage: Usually used with 'the' as in 'the past'.

### 3. telling time

preposition · CEFR A1 · British English

you use this to say how many minutes have gone after the hour.

For teachers: used in time-telling to indicate the number of minutes elapsed after a specific hour.

- We agreed to meet at the café at half past four.
- The train was scheduled to depart at twenty past ten, but a signaling fault delayed it by nearly an hour.

Teaching tip: In American English, 'after' is often used instead of 'past' for telling time.

### 4. beyond a place

preposition · CEFR A2

moving further than a specific building or location.

For teachers: to a point further than or beyond a specific physical location.

- Walk past the library and you will see the park on your left.
- The hikers continued past the timberline, where the vegetation became sparse and the wind grew significantly colder.

### 5. previous

adjective · CEFR A2

happening or existing before now.

For teachers: having occurred or existed in a period of time immediately preceding the present.

- Over the past few days, the weather has been very rainy.
- The company's performance over the past decade has been marked by rapid expansion and significant technological innovation.

### 6. moving by

adverb · CEFR A2

moving so that you go in front of and then behind something.

For teachers: in a direction that passes a specific point or person.

- A large truck drove past while we were standing on the sidewalk.
- Several cyclists sped past the spectators, their brightly colored jerseys blurring into a single streak of motion.

### 7. beyond a limit

preposition · CEFR B1

further than a particular age, amount, or limit.

For teachers: beyond a particular age, stage, or limit in quantity or capability.

- It is already past my bedtime, but I want to finish this chapter.
- The athlete realized he was past his prime when he could no longer keep up with the younger sprinters.

## Examples

- We cannot change the past.
- She enjoys reading books about the past to understand how people lived hundreds of years ago.
- Historians often debate how much our current political landscape is shaped by the past, arguing that historical precedents provide the only reliable map for future governance.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.