From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe pastthe pasta) PASTthe time that existed before the presentin the past The lake was smaller in the past. Good manners have become a thing of the past (=something that does not exist anymore). It’s time she stopped living in the past (=thinking only about the past) and began to think about her future.the recent/immediate/distant past She allowed her mind to drift towards the recent past. I did a law degree some time in the dim and distant past (=a long time ago). b) SLGthe past tense → past
Examples from the Corpus
the past• Our goal was to learn from our past mistakes and to use the lessons on this project.• My grandfather enjoys talking about the past.• It's hard to see events from the very recent past in their proper historical perspective.• I decided to ask Anna, as she had always been very helpful in the past.• The programme describes events which took place in the distant past, towards the end of the last ice-age.• Barker had tried in the past to commit suicide.• In the past, doctors seemed to have more time for their patients than they do today.• We can study the events of the past.• There were several horse-drawn carriages, as a nostalgic reminder of the past.• For many people, a relaxing weekend has become a thing of the past. 