Definition Definition

past - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'past' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Past [ adv.]
- By; beyond; as, he ran past.
2 . Past [ n.]
- A former time or state; a state of things gone by.
3 . Past [ prep.]
- Beyond, in position, or degree; further than; beyond the reach or influence of.
- Beyond, in time; after; as, past the hour.
- Above; exceeding; more than.
4 . Past [ v.]
- Of or pertaining to a former time or state; neither present nor future; gone by; elapsed; ended; spent; as, past troubles; past offences.

Meaning of 'past' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . past [ n]
Meaning (1):
- the time that has elapsed
Example in sentence:
  • forget the past
Meaning (2):
- a earlier period in someone's life (especially one that they have reason to keep secret)
Example in sentence:
  • reporters dug into the candidate's past
3 . past [ a]
Meaning (3):
- earlier than the present time; no longer current
Example in sentence:
  • his youth is past;
  • the past year;
  • this past Thursday;
  • time past
4 . past [ r]
Meaning (4):
- so as to pass a given point
Example in sentence:
  • every hour a train goes past
5 . past [ s]
Meaning (5):
- of a person who has held and relinquished a position or office
Example in sentence:
  • a retiring member of the board