past consideration

USAGE SUMMARY

"past consideration" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in legal contexts, particularly in contract law, to refer to something that has already been given or done before a promise is made. An example: "The promise was not enforceable because it was based on past consideration." Alternative expressions include "previous consideration" and "prior consideration."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

Past consideration of new Jovian multiprobe missions has been considered problematic without the Giant Planet arcjet facility that was used to qualify carbon phenolic for the Galileo probe.

Advances in Space Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

In recent past, the consideration has shifted towards nanomaterials in water purification due to their super sorption ability.

Chemistry Central Journal

However, in recent past more consideration has been given to the mass transport (sedimentation/diffusion) of particles in suspension, which proceeds at a rate governed by the mass transport properties (sedimentation/diffusion-coefficients) of the formed agglomerates in suspension [45 47].

Nano Convergence

Ironically, taking yoga's convoluted past into consideration, one big problem is the idea that there's some kind of unbroken tradition of yoga that gives it a sense of religious authority.

Vice

The Bicentennial started out interesting, became tedious, became really tedious, and then continued past any considerations of whether it was interesting or not..

The New Yorker

A telephone conversation with Ms. Arthur turned into remembrances of theater times past and considerations of present possibilities for a star in her 70's.

The New York Times

The Bicentennial started out interesting, became tedious, became really tedious, and then continued past any considerations of whether it was interesting or not.

The New Yorker

By Jelani Cobb October 15, 2017 Too often left out of the conversation about monuments to the redacted past is the consideration that, in removing those tributes, we are performing our own historical redaction.

The New Yorker

Mackay said the approach to dealing with the UK's 100 tonne stockpile of plutonium was changing from a heavy focus on the mixed-oxide fuel (MOX) approach, a programme which has suffered huge and costly failure in the past, to include consideration of advanced "fast" reactors, which can consume plutonium.

The Guardian

"The resignation is only due to the failure to prevent the attack; nothing of the past was in consideration," he said, referring to the rocket and mortar attack on the first day of the peace jirga in Kabul, when about 1,600 people were in attendance.

The New York Times

The scoring mechanisms take into consideration past introduced information, as well as correlated tags to enhance and improve the quality of the dataset.

Human-centric Computing and Information Sciences

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "past consideration" when you want to acknowledge that a subject has been previously analyzed or debated, especially in academic or journalistic contexts. It bridges current findings with historical discourse smoothly.

Common error

Be aware that in contract law, "past consideration" refers to a specific doctrine where an act performed in the past cannot serve as the basis for a new contract. Avoid using this phrase in legal documents unless you are specifically referring to this lack of legal value.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "past consideration" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "past" modifies the noun "consideration". In the examples provided by Ludwig, it typically serves as the object of a preposition (e.g., "in past consideration") or the subject of a clause, representing a completed period of thought or a specific historical deliberative state.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

Science

52%

News & Media

38%

Encyclopedias

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Wiki

2%

Social Media

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In conclusion, "past consideration" is a highly effective phrase for referencing previous intellectual efforts. Ludwig AI analysis shows it is particularly prevalent in high-authority scientific and journalistic domains. While it has a specialized meaning in contract law that implies a lack of enforceability, its general use remains a standard way to acknowledge the history of a discussion. Whether you are writing an academic paper or a news report, using this phrase helps ground your current arguments in a broader historical or analytical context. For maximum precision, always ensure the context clearly indicates whether you mean a general "previous thought" or the specific legal doctrine.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

previous consideration

Interchangeable in most formal contexts when referring to earlier deliberative steps.

prior consideration

Carries a stronger sense of a mandatory or chronological prerequisite.

retrospective review

Focuses more on the procedural act of looking back rather than the abstract concept of thought.

historical assessment

Adds a formal dimension of temporal or chronological analysis.

former deliberation

Emphasizes the formal process of weighing options that occurred in the past.

past reflection

Suggests a more personal or subjective level of thought than the analytical "consideration".

earlier evaluation

Highly functional in scientific and technical contexts for referring to previous data checks.

preceding analysis

Focuses on the sequence of a study or a document.

pre-existing appraisal

Technical term often used in business or real estate contexts.

past thinking

A more informal or conversational way to express previous views.

FAQs

How do I use "past consideration" in a sentence?

You can use it to refer to previous thoughts or analysis, such as: "Taking the candidate's past consideration of similar issues into account, the board reached a quick decision."

What does "past consideration" mean in a legal context?

In law, it refers to something a person has already done before a promise is made. Since the act is finished, it usually doesn't count as legal value for a new contract.

What is a more formal alternative to "past consideration"?

You might choose "prior consideration" or "previous deliberation" for a more professional tone.

Is "past consideration" the same as "past thinking"?

While they share the same meaning, "past thinking" is more informal. For professional writing, "previous consideration" or "past consideration" is preferred.