Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1200-1300
Origin: Old past participle of pass

past

1 adjective
     
NEW! See related topics: GRAMMAR
past1 S1 W1
1

previous

[only before noun] done, used, or experienced before now:
Judging by her past performance, Jane should do very well.
From past experience she knew that it was no use arguing with him.
Study some past exam papers to get an idea of the questions.
2

recent

[only before noun] used to refer to a period up until now:
the events of the past year
During the past two weeks twelve people have died of the disease.
She has been feeling tired for the past few days.
3

finished

finished or having come to an end:
Winter is past and spring has come at last.
writers from past centuries
a tradition rooted in times long past
4

former

[only before noun] having held a particular position in the past or achieved a particular honour in the past
past president/member/winner etc
a past president of the golf club
a celebration for past and present employees of the newspaper
Bruce Jenner, a past Olympic champion
5

grammar

[only before noun]SLG relating to the past tense
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.
 
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