the past
noun
1
: an earlier time : the time before the present
happy memories of the past
In the past, there was a company luncheon every month.
2
grammar
: a verb tense that is used to refer to the past : the past tense
The past of "walk" is "walked."
Examples of the past in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
For the past year, Michelle has run our Justice and National Security unit, shepherding the team through countless scoops and high-stakes stories with a spirit of calm and collaboration.
—
Ted Johnson, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2025
The book comes as Swift is taking some time away from the spotlight following a historic run of music releases and performances over the past couple of years.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2025
The film plays with the theme of ghosts or phantoms, referenced in the English title of the movie, maybe ghosts of the past or ghosts of lives that could have been.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025
But six years later, does the future in 2019 already look like the past in 2025?
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
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Ted Johnson, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2025
The book comes as Swift is taking some time away from the spotlight following a historic run of music releases and performances over the past couple of years.
—Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Aug. 2025
The film plays with the theme of ghosts or phantoms, referenced in the English title of the movie, maybe ghosts of the past or ghosts of lives that could have been.
—Georg Szalai, HollywoodReporter, 6 Aug. 2025
But six years later, does the future in 2019 already look like the past in 2025?
—Tim Pitt, Robb Report, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for the past
Cite this Entry
“The past.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/the%20past. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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