pretérito — meaning in English

English meaning

• past noun The period of time before the present.
• preterite adj Describing an action that took place at a specific point in the past.

Senses

pretérito is used for these senses in English:

• past (grammar) Of a tense, expressing action that has already happened or a previously-existing state. [from 18th c.]
• past (grammar) The past tense.
• past tense (grammar) A grammatical form (often a verb form) that refers to an event, transaction, occurrence, or object that happened (or had happened), or existed, at some time before now (the applicable reference time).
• preterite (grammar, of a tense) Showing an action at a determined moment in the past.
• preterite (grammar) A grammatical tense or verb form serving to denote events that took place or were completed in the past.

past — full definition

1. noun The period of time before the present.
2. adjective Having already happened or existed; former.
3. preposition Beyond in place, time, or amount.

preterite — full definition

1. adj Describing an action that took place at a specific point in the past.
2. adj Entirely over and done with; belonging to earlier times.

Related Portuguese words