past perfect

American  

noun

Grammar.

1. pluperfect.

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past perfect British  

adjective

1. denoting a tense of verbs used in relating past events where the action had already occurred at the time of the action of a main verb that is itself in a past tense. In English this is a compound tense formed with had plus the past participle

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noun

1. 1. the past perfect tense

   2. a verb in this tense

Etymology

Origin of past perfect

First recorded in 1885–90

Compare meaning

How does past-perfect compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• present perfect vs. past perfect

Example Sentences

“I’ve only gone as far as the past perfect tense in my French book.”

From Literature

Soon we were flying past perfect rows of citrus trees, and that glorious scent was in the air.

From Literature

Has it reversed itself into the past perfect tense?

From The Guardian

Would we then have a present on our hands that was, at best, past perfect?

From New York Times

Exercise 106 Change the italicized verbs to past tense, future, present perfect, past perfect, future perfect.

From Project Gutenberg