ago

[uh-goh]

adjective

1. gone; gone by; past (usually preceded by a noun).

   five days ago.

adverb

1. in past time; in the past.

   All this happened long ago.

ago

/ əˈɡəʊ /

adverb

1. in the past

   five years ago

   long ago

Usage

The use of ago with since ( it's ten years ago since he wrote the novel ) is redundant and should be avoided: it is ten years since he wrote the novel

Word History and Origins

Origin of ago¹

before 1000; Middle English ago ( n ), Old English āgān, past participle of āgān to go by, pass, equivalent to ā- a- ³ + gān to go ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ago¹

C14 ago, from Old English āgān to pass away

Example Sentences

The result is something that months ago was unthinkable.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The film was completed two years ago, just before 1,200 people were killed in the Oct.

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But three years ago, a prolonged rain famine prompted the city to start enacting water restrictions, and the situation has kept getting worse.

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Billions of years ago, life apparently benefited from the magnetic shield, which blocked harmful radiation from space, making its development possible in the first place.

Read more on Science Daily

Around 4.3 billion years ago, when the solar system was still young, a massive asteroid struck the far side of the moon.

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When To Use

What does ago mean?

Ago means in the past.It’s always used in combination with other words that indicate exactly or about how much time has passed since something happened—never by itself (you wouldn’t say That happened ago).Examples of such phrases are three weeks ago, an hour ago, five days ago, long ago, and a long time ago.Example: A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away ….