Word forms: plural pastsIn addition to the uses shown below, past is used in the phrasal verb 'run past'.
1. singular noun
The past is the time before the present, and the things that have happened.
In the past, about a third of the babies born to women with diabetes were lost.
He should learn from the mistakes of the past. We have been here before.
We would like to put the past behind us.
See live in the past
2. countable noun [usually singular]
Your past consists of all the things that you have done or that have happened to you.
...revelations about his past.
...Germany's recent past.
Synonyms: background, life, experience, history More Synonyms of past
3. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
Past events and things happened or existed before the present time.
I knew from past experience that alternative therapies could help.
...a return to the turbulence of past centuries.
The list of past champions includes many British internationals.
Synonyms: former, late, early, recent More Synonyms of past
Past is also used after periods of time.
[literary]
A South Korean newspaper said today the event will be smaller than in years past.
4. adjective
You use past to talk about a period of time that has just finished. For example, if you talk about the past five years, you mean the period of five years that has just finished.
Most shops have remained closed for the past three days.
...the momentous events of the past few days.
Synonyms: last, recent, previous, preceding More Synonyms of past
5. adjective [verb-link ADJECTIVE]
If a situation is past, it has ended and no longer exists.
[literary]
Many economists believe the worst of the economic downturn is past.
...images from years long past.
The time for loyalty is past.
6. adjective [ADJECTIVE noun]
In grammar, the past tenses of a verb are the ones used to talk about things that happened at some time beforethe present. The simple past tense uses the past form of a verb, which for regular verbs ends in '-ed', as in 'They walked back to the car'.
7. See also past perfect
8. preposition
You use past when you are stating a time which is thirty minutes or less after a particular hour. For example, if it is twenty past six, it is twenty minutes after six o'clock.
It's ten past eleven.
I arrived at half past ten.
Past is also an adverb.
I have my lunch at half past.
9. preposition
If it is past a particular time, it is later than that time.
It was past midnight.
It's past your bedtime.
Synonyms: after, beyond, later than, over More Synonyms of past
10. preposition
If you go past someone or something, you go near them and keep moving, so that they are then behindyou.
I dashed past him and out of the door.
A steady procession of people filed past the coffin.
He was never able to get past the border guards.
Synonyms: by, across, in front of More Synonyms of past
Past is also an adverb.
An ambulance drove past.
11. preposition
If you look or point past a person or thing, you look or point at something behind them.
She stared past Christine at the bed.
12. preposition
If something is past a place, it is on the other side of it.
Go north on I-15 to the exit just past Barstow.
Just past the Barlby roundabout there's temporary traffic lights.
13. preposition
If someone or something is past a particular point or stage, they are no longer at that point or stage.
He was well past retirement age.
...a piece of cheese four weeks past its sell-by date.
The situation is long past the stage when anyone's advice would help.
14. preposition
If you are past doing something, you are no longer able to do it. For example, if you are past caring, you do not care about something any more because so many bad things have happened to you.
She was past caring about anything by then and just wanted the pain to end.
Often by the time they do accept the truth they are past being able to put wordsto feelings.
See past it
15.
See would not put it past sb/would not put anything past sb
More Synonyms of past
English Easy Learning GrammarThe past continuous tenseTypical forms of this tense are as shown in: I was winning. but not I was liking it. She was winning. They were winning. Was I winning? Was she ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarCompound tensesThe compound tenses are a combination of present or past tense (shown through an auxiliaryverb) with continuous or perfect aspect. See also Tense and ... Read more
English Easy Learning GrammarIrregular verbsIrregular verbs are verbs that do not form the past simple tense and the past participleby adding -ed to the base form. The three main groups of irregular ... Read more
past in British English
(pɑːst)
adjective
1.
completed, finished, and no longer in existence
past happiness
2.
denoting or belonging to all or a segment of the time that has elapsed at the present moment
the past history of the world
3.
denoting a specific unit of time that immediately precedes the present one
the past month
4. (prenominal)
denoting a person who has held and relinquished an office or position; former
a past president
5. grammar
denoting any of various tenses of verbs that are used in describing actions, events, or states that have been begun or completed at the time of utterance
the history, experience, or background of a nation, person, etc
a soldier with a distinguished past
8.
an earlier period of someone's life, esp one that contains events kept secret or regarded as disreputable
9. grammar
a.
a past tense
b.
a verb in a past tense
adverb
10.
at a specified or unspecified time before the present; ago
three years past
11.
on or onwards
I greeted him but he just walked past
preposition
12.
beyond in time
it's past midnight
13.
beyond in place or position
the library is past the church
14.
moving beyond; in a direction that passes
she walked past me
15.
beyond or above the reach, limit, or scope of
their foolishness is past comprehension
16.
beyond or above in number or amount
to count past ten
17. past it
18. not put it past someone
▶ USAGE The past participle of pass is sometimes wrongly spelt past: the time for recriminations has passed (not past)
Word origin
C14: from passed, past participle of pass
past in American English
(pæst; pɑst)
verb intransitive, verb transitive
1. Rare
pass2
adjective
2.
gone by; ended; over
our past troubles
3.
of a former time; bygone
4.
immediately preceding; just gone by
the past week
5.
having served formerly
a past chairman
6. Grammar
indicating an action completed or in progress at a former time, or a state or condition in existence at a former time
noun
7.
the time that has gone by; days, months, or years gone by
8.
what has happened; the history, former life, or experiences of a person, group, orinstitution
often used to indicate a hidden or questionable past
a woman with a past
9. Grammar
a.
the past tense
b.
a verb form in this tense
preposition
10.
beyond in time; later than
five past four
11.
beyond in space; farther on than
12. Obsolete
beyond in amount or degree; more than
13.
beyond the extent, power, limits, scope, etc. of
past belief
adverb
14.
to and beyond a point in time or space; by; so as to pass
Idioms:
not put it past someone
More idioms containing
past
past your sell-by date
be past it
I wouldn't put it past someone
first past the post
COBUILD Collocations
past
distant past
half past
murky past
troubled past
Examples of 'past' in a sentence
past
The sector has enjoyed a boom in the past ten years.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
She fled abroad to escape her tormentors and keeps her past a secret from new acquaintances.
The Sun (2016)
In the past month he has partially refunded a couple who cancelled their wedding.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
It turns out that a bloke in his car had got a picture as he went past.
The Sun (2016)
Those planted within the past two or three years should be relatively easy to lift and move.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Just tell her you want to put the past behind you.
The Sun (2016)
This past week has honestly been one of the most exciting of my entire career.
The Sun (2017)
That's something the past ten winners of this race all have in common.
The Sun (2016)
Too long in the past they've just brought in players here for the sake of it.
Times, Sunday Times (2017)
Villa have only lost one of their past nine away matches in the league.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Maybe something in your past makes you afraid to fully commit.
The Sun (2011)
The pair had called rescuers after following his tracks just past the summit where they stopped.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
His performances over the past two years have been unbelievable.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Star players from the past may also be invited to make an appearance.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The past weeks have been very hard.
The Sun (2010)
The past is behind us and we are moving on.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Now buzz off and let me try to learn to count past five.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
There are lots of other episodes in my past which put a bigger smile on my face.
The Sun (2012)
Money moves from the past to the present.
The Sun (2016)
You can find the precursor of this new wave in the recent past.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Will she confront this woman about the past?
The Sun (2008)
You can use past experiences to upgrade a current relationship.
The Sun (2012)
Oxford have lost their past three matches.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
This could have happened any time in the past few years or it could all be rubbish.
The Sun (2008)
Past history suggests this might be a spectacle worth watching.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The number of older women having relationships with younger men has increased dramaticallyin the past ten years.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
But time and again over the past decade our security services have used them to keep us safe.
The Sun (2015)
She brings the past to life.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Quotations
The past is a foreign country; they do things differently thereL. P. HartleyThe Go-Between
The past is the only dead thing that smells sweetEdward ThomasEarly One Morning
As all historians know, the past is a great darkness, and filled with echoesMargaret AtwoodThe Handmaid's Tale
The past is never dead, it is not even pastWilliam Faulkner
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat itGeorge SantayanaThe Life of Reason
I think we agree, the past is overGeorge Bush
In other languages
past
British English: past /pɑːst/ ADJECTIVE
Past events and things happened or existed before the present time.
...details of his past activities.
American English: past
Arabic: ماضٍ
Brazilian Portuguese: passado
Chinese: 过去的
Croatian: prošao
Czech: uplynulý
Danish: tidligere
Dutch: vroeger
European Spanish: pasado
Finnish: mennyt
French: passé
German: vergangen
Greek: περασμένος
Italian: passato
Japanese: 過ぎ去った
Korean: 과거의
Norwegian: forhenværende
Polish: przeszły
European Portuguese: passado
Romanian: trecut
Russian: прошедший
Latin American Spanish: pasado
Swedish: förfluten
Thai: ที่ผ่านไปแล้ว
Turkish: geçmiş
Ukrainian: минулий
Vietnamese: đã qua
British English: past /pɑːst/ NOUN
The past is the period of time before now.
In the past, there weren't any computers.
American English: past
Arabic: الـمَاضِي
Brazilian Portuguese: passado
Chinese: 过去
Croatian: prošlost
Czech: minulost
Danish: fortid
Dutch: verleden
European Spanish: pasado
Finnish: menneisyys
French: passé
German: Vergangenheit
Greek: παρελθόν
Italian: passato
Japanese: 過去
Korean: 과거
Norwegian: fortid
Polish: przeszłość
European Portuguese: passado
Romanian: trecut
Russian: прошлое
Latin American Spanish: pasado
Swedish: förflutet
Thai: อดีต
Turkish: geçmiş
Ukrainian: минуле
Vietnamese: quá khứ
British English: past /pɑːst/ PREPOSITION
after You use past when you are telling the time.
It was ten past eleven.
American English: after in times
Arabic: بَعْدُ
Brazilian Portuguese: para além de
Chinese: 越过
Croatian: nakon
Czech: po
Danish: forbi
Dutch: over
European Spanish: después de
Finnish: ohi
French: après
German: nach
Greek: μετά από
Italian: e
Japanese: ･･･を過ぎて
Korean: ...을 지나서
Norwegian: forbi
Polish: po
European Portuguese: para além de
Romanian: trecut de
Russian: после
Latin American Spanish: después de
Swedish: förbi
Thai: ผ่าน
Turkish: geçiyor
Ukrainian: після
Vietnamese: qua vượt
British English: past /pɑːst/ PREPOSITION
farther than Something that is past a place is on the other side of it.
It's just past the school there.
American English: past
Arabic: وَرَاءَ
Brazilian Portuguese: depois
Chinese: 在…另一侧
Croatian: pokraj
Czech: zabudovou apod.
Danish: forbi
Dutch: voorbij
European Spanish: más allá
Finnish: takana
French: de l'autre côté de
German: hinter
Greek: πέρα
Italian: di fronte a
Japanese: ･･･のそばの
Korean: ~을 지나서
Norwegian: forbi
Polish: za
European Portuguese: a seguir
Romanian: după
Russian: позади
Latin American Spanish: pasar
Swedish: förbi
Thai: ผ่าน
Turkish: geçmek
Ukrainian: за
Vietnamese: ngang qua
All related terms of 'past'
past it
If you say that someone or something is past it , they are no longer able to do what they used to do.
fly-past
a ceremonial flight of aircraft over a given area
half past
You use past when you are stating a time which is thirty minutes or less after a particular hour . For example, if it is twenty past six , it is twenty minutes after six o'clock.
past due
If an amount of money owed is past due , it is still owing beyond the payment date .
run past
To run something past someone means the same as to run it by them.
the past
the period of time or a segment of it that has elapsed
march past
When soldiers take part in a march-past , they march past an important person as part of a ceremonial occasion .
murky past
Your past consists of all the things that you have done or that have happened to you.
past glory
Glory is the fame and admiration that you gain by doing something impressive .
past master
If you are a past master at something, you are very skilful at it because you have had a lot of experience doing it.
past tense
denoting one of various tenses used in relating past events
be past it
to no longer be as good as in the past
distant past
The past is the time before the present, and the things that have happened .
past anterior
a pluperfect verb (in French )
past definite
the simple past
past historic
the simple past
past mistress
a woman who is thoroughly experienced or exceptionally skilled in a profession , art, etc
past perfect
In grammar , the past perfect tenses of a verb are the ones used to talk about things that happened before a specific time. The simple past perfect tense uses 'had' and the past participle of the verb, as in 'She had seen him before'. It is sometimes called the → pluperfect .
troubled past
Your past consists of all the things that you have done or that have happened to you.
past participle
In grammar , the past participle of a verb is a form that is usually the same as the past form and so ends in '-ed'. A number of verbs have irregular past participles, for example ' break ' (past participle 'broken'), and ' come ' (past participle 'come'). Past participles are used to form perfect tenses and the passive voice , and many of them can be used like an adjective in front of a noun.
past progressive
a verb form consisting of an auxiliary be in the past tense followed by a present participle and used esp. to indicate that an action or event was incomplete or in progress at a point of reference in the past, as was sleeping in I was sleeping when the phone rang
deep in the past
long ago
live in the past
If you accuse someone of living in the past , you mean that they think too much about the past or believe that things are the same as they were in the past.
past life therapy
a form of hypnosis or meditation based on the belief that an individual's present problems are rooted in events that occurred before birth in this life
the past anterior
a French tense : the pluperfect
the past decade
A decade is a period of ten years, especially one that begins with a year ending in 0, for example 1980 to 1989.
in the past tense
using a past tense verb
happen by
to appear, arrive , or come casually or by chance
a thing of the past
If something is a thing of the past , it no longer exists or happens , or is being replaced by something new.
blast from the past
You can use a blast from the past as a light-hearted way of referring to something such as an old song or fashion that you hear or notice again, and which reminds you of an earlier time.
first-past-the-post
A first-past-the-post system for choosing members of parliament or other representatives is one in which the candidate who gets most votes wins.
beyond compare
If you describe something as beyond compare , you mean that it is extremely good or extremely great .
not put it past someone
to consider someone capable of (the action specified)
past one's sell-by date
If you say that someone or something is past their sell-by date , you mean they are no longer effective , interesting, or useful .
past your sell-by date
no longer useful , successful , or relevant
first-past-the-post system
a voting system in which a candidate may be elected by a simple majority rather than an absolute majority
I wouldn't put it past someone
said to mean that you would not be surprised if someone did something bad
past the hour/before the hour
If you want to state the time exactly , you can give a number of minutes followed by before the hour or past the hour .
would not put it past sb/would not put anything past sb
If you say that you would not put it past someone to do something bad , you mean that you would not be surprised if they did it because you think their character is bad.
Chinese translation of 'past'
past
(pɑːst)
prep
(= in front of, beyond, later than) 过(過) (guò)
⇒ He walked past the hat shop.他走过了这家帽子店。 (Tā zǒuguòle zhè jiā màozidiàn.)
⇒ The farm was just past the village.过了村庄就是农场。 (Guòle cūnzhuāng jiù shì nóngchǎng.)
⇒ I think we must have gone past the turn.我想我们已经过了转弯处。 (Wǒ xiǎng wǒmen yǐjīng guòle zhuǎnwānchù.)
⇒ It's long past bedtime.早过了就寝的时间了。 (Zǎo guòle jiùqǐn de shíjiān le.)
adv
(= by)
to go/walk/drive past经(經)/走/开(開)过(過) (jīng/zǒu/kāiguò)
adj
(= previous)
[life, experience, government]过(過)去的 (guòqù de)
[week, month, year]刚(剛)过(過)去的 (gāng guòqù de)
n(c)
the past过(過)去 (guòqù) (个(個), gè) (= tense) 过(過)去时(時) (guòqùshí)
[of person, country]过(過)去 (guòqù)
he ran past me他从(從)我身边(邊)跑过(過) (tā cóng wǒ shēnbiān pǎoguò)
he's past forty他40多岁(歲)了 (tā sìshí duō suì le)
it's past midnight过(過)了午夜 (guòle wǔyè)
ten/(a) quarter past eight8点(點)10/15分 (bā diǎn shí/shíwǔ fēn)
I'm past caring我已不在乎了 (wǒ yǐ bù zàihu le)
to be past it (Brit, inf)[person, thing]老而无(無)用了 (lǎo ér wú yòng le)
for the past few/3 days过(過)去几(幾)/3天以来(來) (guòqù jǐ/sān tiān yǐlái)
the past tense过(過)去时(時) (guòqùshí)
in the past (= before now) 在过(過)去 (zài guòqù) (= in the past tense) 用过(過)去时(時)态(態) (yòng guòqù shítài)
All related terms of 'past'
the past
过(過)去 guòqù [ 个(個) gè ]
brush past
( person, object ) 擦过(過) cāguò
in the past
( before now ) 在过(過)去 zài guòqù
past participle
过(過)去分词(詞) guòqù fēncí
to edge past
缓(緩)缓(緩)通过(過) huǎnhuǎn tōngguò
he's past forty
他40多岁(歲)了 tā sìshí duō suì le
I'm past caring
我已不在乎了 wǒ yǐ bù zàihu le
the past tense
过(過)去时(時) guòqùshí
to be past it
( Brit : inf : person, thing ) 老而无(無)用了 lǎo ér wú yòng le
to streak past
划(劃)过(過) huáguò
to thunder past
( train etc ) 轰隆隆地从旁边经过(過) hōnglōnglōng de cóng pángbiān jīngguò
5 minutes past 3
3点(點)过(過)5分 sān diǎn guò wǔ fēn
he ran past me
他从(從)我身边(邊)跑过(過) tā cóng wǒ shēnbiān pǎoguò
it's past midnight
过(過)了午夜 guòle wǔyè
in the remote past
在遥(遙)远(遠)的过(過)去 zài yáoyuǎn de guòqù
it's past my bedtime
已经(經)过(過)了我的就寝(寢)时(時)间(間) yǐjīng guòle wǒ de jiùqǐn shíjiān
to zoom past/along
疾驰(馳)而过(過)/沿 ... 疾驰(馳) jíchí ér guò/yán ... jíchí
in the past few days
在过(過)去的几(幾)天里(裡) zài guòqù de jǐ tiān li
to file in/out/past
鱼(魚)贯(貫)而入/出/过(過) yúguàn ér rù/chū/guò
to flash by or past
一闪(閃)而过(過) yī shǎn ér guò
to sweep in/out/past
( person ) 昂首阔(闊)步地进(進)来(來)/出去/走过(過) áng shǒu kuò bù de jìnlái/chūqù/zǒuguò
It was his aim to write a life of John Paul Jones.
experience
history
I studied her history closely.
past life
life story
career to date
1 (adjective)
Definition
of the time before the present
a return to the turbulence of past centuries
Synonyms
former
Remember him as he was in former years.
late
my late husband
early
recent
a faster, sleeker, more recent model
previous
ancient
They believed ancient Greece and Rome were vital sources of learning.
prior
He claimed he had no prior knowledge of the protest.
long-ago
preceding
foregoing
The foregoing discussion has highlighted the difficulties.
erstwhile
bygone
bygone generations
olden
Opposites
coming
,
future
, present,
arrived
2 (adjective)
Definition
former
My past life seems like a dream now.
Synonyms
previous
They had brought their furniture from their previous house.
former
I learned from my former boss that it was fun to work.
one-time
a one-time officer in the Royal Navy
sometime
She was in her early thirties, a sometime actress, dancer and singer.
erstwhile
He is suing his erstwhile friend and business partner.
quondam
ex-
3 (adjective)
Definition
immediately previous
the events of the past few days
Synonyms
last
I got married last July.
recent
previous
He recalled what Bob had told him the previous night.
preceding
the student revolution of the preceding years
4 (adjective)
Definition
no longer in existence
The great age of exploration is past.
Synonyms
over
I think the worst is over now.
done
By evening the work is done, and just in time.
ended
At last our search is ended.
spent
The money was spent.
finished
Finally, last spring, the film was finished.
completed
gone
Those happy times are gone forever.
forgotten
a faint whisper of a forgotten world far away
accomplished
extinct
elapsed
over and done with
We were friends once but that's all over and done with.
1 (preposition)
Definition
beyond in time
It's well past your bedtime.
Synonyms
after
beyond
later than
over
outside
farther than
in excess of
subsequent to
2 (preposition)
Definition
beyond in place
She dashed past me and ran out of the room.
Synonyms
by
across
in front of
(adverb)
Definition
on or onwards
The ambulance drove past.
Synonyms
on
by
along
She skipped and danced along.
idiom
See be past it
Usage note
The past participle of pass is sometimes wrongly spelt past: the time for recrimination has passed (not past).
Quotations
The past is a foreign country; they do things differently there [L. P. Hartley – The Go-Between]The past is the only dead thing that smells sweet [Edward Thomas – Early One Morning]As all historians know, the past is a great darkness, and filled with echoes [Margaret Atwood – The Handmaid's Tale]The past is never dead, it is not even past [William Faulkner]Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it [George Santayana – The Life of Reason]I think we agree, the past is over [George Bush]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of accomplished
Definition
successfully completed
Synonyms
done,
produced,
effected,
finished,
completed,
managed,
achieved,
performed,
carried out,
realized,
concluded,
fulfilled,
executed,
brought about,
attained,
consummated,
in the can (informal)
in the sense of along
Definition
moving forward
She skipped and danced along.
Synonyms
ahead,
on,
forwards,
in front,
onwards
in the sense of ancient
Definition
dating from very long ago
They believed ancient Greece and Rome were vital sources of learning.
Synonyms
classical,
old,
former,
past,
early,
bygone,
primordial,
primeval,
olden
Synonyms of 'past'
past
Explore 'past' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bygone
Definition
past
bygone generations
Synonyms
past,
former,
previous,
lost,
forgotten,
ancient,
of old,
one-time,
departed,
extinct,
gone by,
erstwhile,
antiquated,
of yore,
olden,
past recall,
sunk in oblivion
in the sense of done
Definition
(of a task) completed
By evening the work is done, and just in time.
Synonyms
finished,
completed,
accomplished,
over,
through,
ended,
perfected,
realized,
concluded,
executed,
terminated,
consummated,
in the can (informal)
in the sense of ended
At last our search is ended.
Synonyms
finished,
done,
over,
through,
closed,
past,
complete,
done with,
settled,
all over (bar the shouting),
no more,
concluded,
accomplished,
wrapped-up (informal),
at an end,
finis
in the sense of erstwhile
Definition
former
He is suing his erstwhile friend and business partner.
Synonyms
former,
old,
late,
previous,
once,
past,
ex (informal),
one-time,
sometime,
bygone,
quondam
in the sense of finished
Finally, last spring, the film was finished.
Synonyms
over,
done,
completed,
achieved,
through,
ended,
closed,
full,
final,
complete,
in the past,
concluded,
shut,
accomplished,
executed,
tied up,
wrapped up (informal),
terminated,
sewn up (informal),
finalized,
over and done with
in the sense of foregoing
Definition
(esp. of writing or speech) going before
The foregoing discussion has highlighted the difficulties.
Synonyms
preceding,
former,
above,
previous,
prior,
antecedent,
anterior,
just mentioned,
previously stated
in the sense of forgotten
a faint whisper of a forgotten world far away
Synonyms
unremembered,
lost,
past,
buried,
left behind,
omitted,
obliterated,
bygone,
blotted out,
consigned to oblivion,
past recall,
gone (clean) out of your mind
in the sense of gone
Definition
no longer present or no longer in existence
Those happy times are gone forever.
Synonyms
past,
over,
ended,
finished,
elapsed
in the sense of history
Definition
all that is preserved of the past, esp. in written form
Is history about to repeat itself?
Synonyms
the past,
the old days,
antiquity,
yesterday,
the good old days,
yesteryear,
ancient history,
olden days,
days of old,
days of yore,
bygone times
in the sense of history
Definition
the past events or previous experiences of a place, thing, or person
I studied her history closely.
Synonyms
life story,
story,
biography,
autobiography,
memoirs
Additional synonyms
in the sense of late
Definition
having died recently
my late husband
Synonyms
dead,
deceased,
departed (euphemistic),
passed on,
old,
former,
previous,
preceding,
defunct,
L8
in the sense of life
Definition
a biography
It was his aim to write a life of John Paul Jones.
Synonyms
biography,
story,
history,
career,
profile,
confessions,
autobiography,
memoirs,
life story
in the sense of one-time
Definition
at some time in the past
a one-time officer in the Royal Navy
Synonyms
former,
previous,
prior,
sometime,
late,
erstwhile,
quondam,
ci-devant,
ex-
in the sense of over and done with
We were friends once but that's all over and done with.
Synonyms
finished,
done,
over,
ended,
in the past,
played out (informal)
in the sense of preceding
the student revolution of the preceding years
Synonyms
past,
earlier,
former,
prior,
foregoing
in the sense of prior
Definition
previous
He claimed he had no prior knowledge of the protest.
Synonyms
earlier,
previous,
former,
preceding,
foregoing,
antecedent,
aforementioned,
pre-existing,
anterior,
pre-existent
in the sense of recent
Definition
new
a faster, sleeker, more recent model
Synonyms
new,
modern,
contemporary,
up-to-date,
late,
young,
happening (informal),
current,
fresh,
novel,
latter,
present-day,
latter-day
in the sense of sometime
Definition
former
She was in her early thirties, a sometime actress, dancer and singer.