Advertisement
Advertisement
preterite
/ ˈprɛtərɪt /
noun
- a tense of verbs used to relate past action, formed in English by inflection of the verb, as jumped, swam
- a verb in this tense
adjective
- denoting this tense
Discover More
Word History and Origins
Origin of preterite1
Discover More
Example Sentences
Fortunately, they are drawn from a pathetic preterite far beneath the contempt of our cultural elite.
The preterite of the German dialect is formed by adding ium to the imperative, which is always the root of the verb.
As the usual preterite was heryed (hr-y-ed-e being too cumbrous and almost unpronounceable), there is no error.
Preterite, pret′ėr-it, adj. gone by: past: noting the past tense.
The addition of the sound of t helps to form the Irn preterite.
In many Bantu dialects the root pa (which means to give) becomes pele in the preterite (no doubt from an original pa-ile).
Advertisement
Word of the Day
[ak-suh-lot-l ]
Meaning and examplesStart each day with the Word of the Day in your inbox!
By clicking "Sign Up", you are accepting Dictionary.com Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policies.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Browse