preterit

or pret·er·ite

[ pret-er-it ]

nounGrammar.
  1. in English, the simple past, or an instance or form of a specific verb in the simple past, such as ate or walked.

  2. a verb tense, construction, or form in another language with a meaning similar to that of the simple past in English.

adjective
  1. Grammar. designating a verb tense expressing a past action or state.

  2. Archaic. bygone; past.

Origin of preterit

1
First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English, from Latin praeteritus “past, gone by,” past participle of praeterīre “to go by,” from praeter- preter- + īre “to go”; as tense name, from Latin (tempus) praeteritum “(time) past”

Other words from preterit

  • pret·er·it·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024