this past Friday

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "this past Friday" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the Friday that occurred most recently before the current day. Example: "We had a meeting this past Friday to discuss the upcoming project deadlines."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

This buy follows another significant Promoted Trend this past Friday, when Target bought "#BlackFriday" on Twitter.

TechCrunch

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Wednesday through Friday.

The New York Times

Often late Friday.

The New York Times

estimated late Friday.

The New York Times

Same tomorrow and Friday.

The New York Times

Tuesday, January 22 Wednesday, January 23 Thursday, January 24 Friday, January 25 Saturday, January 26 Sunday, January 27.

The New York Times

The series ends next Friday.

The New York Times

But last Friday still lingers.

The New York Times

Tiffany popped 20% last Thursday and Friday".

Forbes

The hospital closed last Friday.

BBC

Tim Staab said early Friday.

Los Angeles Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "this past Friday" to clearly distinguish the Friday you're referring to from a future Friday, especially when the context might be ambiguous.

Common error

Be careful using "this Friday" alone, as it can be interpreted as the upcoming Friday. If you mean the Friday that just occurred, "this past Friday" or "last Friday" offers greater clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "this past Friday" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an event occurred. It clarifies that the reference is to the Friday immediately preceding the present day, as indicated by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

66%

Wiki

33%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "this past Friday" is a grammatically correct phrase used to refer to the Friday immediately preceding the current day. Ludwig's analysis indicates its usage is straightforward, primarily found in news and media contexts. While interchangeable with "last Friday", it provides added clarity by emphasizing the recency of the referenced Friday. When writing, ensure its context is clear to avoid ambiguity, as using "this Friday" without "past" might imply the upcoming Friday. Ludwig confirms its standard usage and acceptability in various contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

last Friday

More concise and commonly used alternative.

the previous Friday

A formal and explicit way to refer to the Friday before the current day.

the Friday before this one

More descriptive, specifies the Friday immediately preceding the current week.

the Friday just gone

British English alternative, implying the Friday that recently occurred.

Friday of last week

Slightly more verbose, emphasizing the week the Friday belonged to.

the Friday we just had

Informal way of referring to the most recent Friday.

on Friday last week

Adds emphasis on the specific day and its position in the prior week.

a week ago Friday

Expresses the time as 'one week prior to Friday'.

recent Friday

Short and simple way of indicating a Friday that has just passed.

Friday gone by

Emphasizes that Friday has passed, although it can sound archaic.

FAQs

How does "this past Friday" differ from "last Friday"?

While both phrases refer to the Friday immediately before the current day, "this past Friday" can sometimes be used to provide a stronger emphasis on the recentness of the event, though they are largely interchangeable.

When should I use "this past Friday" instead of "this Friday"?

Use "this past Friday" when you specifically want to refer to the Friday that has already occurred, to avoid confusion with the upcoming Friday, which "this Friday" might imply.

Are there regional differences in using "this past Friday"?

The phrase "this past Friday" is generally understood across different English-speaking regions. However, alternatives like "the Friday just gone" are more common in British English.

What alternatives can I use to "this past Friday"?

You can use alternatives like "last Friday", "the previous Friday", or "Friday of last week" depending on the context.