past tense

American  

[past tens] / ˈpæst ˈtɛns /

Also past

noun

Grammar.

• past tenses
  plural

1. (in English) the simple past.

2. 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.

3. an instance or form of a specific verb expressing a past action or state.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• past tenses
  plural

Etymology

Origin of past tense

First recorded in 1650–60

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

past tense

Ms. Cline inhabits his thoughts in close third-person and though she writes in the past tense, her narration evokes an intimate, sometimes smothering feeling of presentness—of being confined within David’s immediate consciousness.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 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

When we talk about media failures and war, we refer to them in the past tense.

From Salon ● Mar. 2, 2026

Your brother uses past tense when speaking of your mother.

From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin