adjective 1. gone by or elapsed in time: It was a bad time, but it's all past now. 2. of, having existed in, or having occurred during a time previous to the present; bygone: the past glories of the Incas. 3. gone by just before the present time; just passed: during the past year. 4. ago: six days past. 5. having formerly been or served as; previous; earlier: three past presidents of the club. 6. Grammar. designating a tense, or other verb formation or construction, that refers to events or states in time gone by