past tense
Americannoun
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past tenses
plural
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(in English) the simple past.
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any verb formation or construction used to express an action or state occurring in the past, such as, in English, the past progressive, present perfect, and pluperfect tenses.
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an instance or form of a specific verb expressing a past action or state.
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of past tense
First recorded in 1650–60
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Throughout the speech, Thomas often used past tense in describing the movement.
From Salon ● Apr. 19, 2026
The myth loomed large, but it was past tense -- until now.
From Barron's ● Apr. 7, 2026
Analysts were surprised at the unanimous decision of the usually fractured Monetary Policy Committee, and by the statement using the past tense to refer to “disinflation.”
From MarketWatch ● Mar. 19, 2026
While it is still difficult for Kumar to refer to his daughter in the past tense, he said Grace was behind his motivation to keep pursuing accountability.
From BBC ● Feb. 21, 2026
The first is to remember that past tense is not the same thing as past time.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
