preterit

or pret·er·ite

[ pret-er-it ]
/ ˈprɛt ər ɪt /

noun Grammar.

a preterit tense.
a verb form in this tense.

adjective

Grammar. noting a past action or state.
Archaic. bygone; past.

Origin of preterit

1300–50; Middle English < Latin praeteritus past, past participle of praeterīre to go by, equivalent to praeter- preter- + -i-, base of īre to go + -tus past participle suffix; as tense name < Latin ( tempus) praeteritum

OTHER WORDS FROM preterit

pret·er·it·ness, noun

Example sentences from the Web for preterite

British Dictionary definitions for preterite

preterite

US preterit

grammar

noun

a tense of verbs used to relate past action, formed in English by inflection of the verb, as jumped, swam
a verb in this tense

adjective

denoting this tense

Word Origin for preterite

C14: from Late Latin praeteritum ( tempus) past (time, tense), from Latin praeterīre to go by, from preter- + īre to go