Meaning & use
a past time
Last updated
Meaning
phrasefixed phrase
A time that has already happened; a moment or period before the present.
Grammar: Used as a noun phrase; often appears after prepositions like 'in' or 'at'.
Patterns
- in a past time
- at a past time
- a past time in history
She often thinks about a past time when her family lived by the sea.
In a past time, people used candles to light their homes.
The story is set in a past time, long before cars were invented.
Common combinations
- in a past time
- In a past time, this building was a busy market.
- a past time in history
- The novel describes a past time in history when kings ruled the land.
- remember a past time
- He likes to remember a past time when he was a student.
Synonyms and how they differ
- the past
- More general and common; it refers to all earlier times, not one specific moment.
- former times
- A more literary phrase meaning times in the past; it is less specific than 'a past time'.
Opposites
Word family
- pastime noun
- An activity done for enjoyment; do not confuse with 'a past time'.
Commonly confused: a past time or pastime?
a past time vs pastime
'Pastime' is one word and means a hobby or leisure activity. 'A past time' is two words and means a time in the past.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'a past time' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 2 correctly uses 'a past time' to mean a time in the past. Option 0 uses 'past time' where the single word 'pastime' is needed. Option 1 is wrong because you cannot visit a time. Option 3 is wrong because 'a past time' does not mean 'late'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “a past time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.