— preteritness , n.
/pret"euhr it/ , n. Gram.
1. past (def. 12).
2. a preterit tense.
3. a verb form in this tense.
adj.
4. Gram. noting a past action or state.
5. Archaic. bygone; past.
Also, preterite .
[ 1300-50; ME praeteritus past, ptp. of praeterire to go by, equiv. to praeter- PRETER- + -i-, base of ire to go + -tus ptp. suffix; as tense name tempus ) praeteritum ]