Adjective

(en adjective)

Having already happened; in the past; finished.

* {{quote-book, year=1963, author=(Margery Allingham), title=(The China Governess)

, chapter=7 citation , passage=The highway to the East Coast which ran through the borough of Ebbfield had always been a main road and even now, despite the vast garages, the pylons and the gaily painted factory glasshouses which had sprung up beside it, there still remained an occasional trace of past cultures.}}

(postmodifier) Following expressions of time to indicate how long ago something happened; ago.

* 1999 , (George RR Martin), A Clash of Kings , Bantam 2011, p. 538:

That had been, what, three years past ?

* 2009 , , Glencoe , Amberley 2009, p. 20:

Some four decades past , as a boy, I had a chance encounter and conversation with the late W.A. Poucher [...].

Of a period of time: having just gone by; previous.

* {{quote-news, year=2012, date=April 23, work=(The Guardian), author=Angelique Chrisafis

, title=François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election citation , passage=Sarkozy's total will be seen as a personal failure. It is the first time an outgoing president has failed to win a first-round vote in the past 50 years and makes it harder for Sarkozy to regain momentum.}}

(grammar) Of a tense, expressing action that has already happened or a previously-existing state.

Adjective

(er)

At a time in advance of the usual or expected event.

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-29, volume=407, issue=8842, page=28, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= High and wet , passage=Floods in northern India, mostly in the small state of Uttarakhand, have wrought disaster on an enormous scale. The early , intense onset of the monsoon on June 14th swelled rivers, washing away roads, bridges, hotels and even whole villages. Rock-filled torrents smashed vehicles and homes, burying victims under rubble and sludge.}}

Arriving a time before expected; sooner than on time.

Near the start or beginning.

*

, title= Mr. Pratt's Patients, chapter=1 , passage='Twas early June, the new grass was flourishing everywheres, the posies in the yard—peonies and such—in full bloom, the sun was shining, and the water of the bay was blue, with light green streaks where the shoal showed.}}

* {{quote-magazine, date=2013-07-20, volume=408, issue=8845, magazine=(The Economist)

, title= The attack of the MOOCs , passage=Dotcom mania was slow in coming to higher education, but now it has the venerable industry firmly in its grip. Since the launch early last year of Udacity and Coursera, two Silicon Valley start-ups offering free education through MOOCs, massive open online courses, the ivory towers of academia have been shaken to their foundations.}}

Having begun to occur; in its early stages.