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

Mizuho analyst John Baumgartner, who has been surveying consumers’ leftover habits for 15 years, said 49% of respondents in October reported eating more leftovers than six months ago, a record since the survey began.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

The government is spending nearly $1 trillion to make attractive what, just over a decade ago, was one of the most tourist-averse countries on earth.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

He met her "years and years ago" when he was a creative director at Libertine.

Read more on BBC

Just one week ago, the death of the artificial-intelligence trade was the talk of the markets.

Read more on Barron's

Just one week ago, the death of the artificial-intelligence trade was the talk of the markets.

Read more on Barron's

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 ….