past future

1 of 2

adjective

: of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is traditionally formed in English with would or should and denotes an action or state as future from a past point of view (as would write in "he promised that he would write")

past future

2 of 2

noun

1
: the past future tense of a language
2
: a verb form in the past future tense

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

past entry 1 + future, adjective

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Dictionary Entries Near past future

Cite this Entry

“Past future.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/past%20future. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

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