this past friday

USAGE SUMMARY

'this past Friday' is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it any time you are referring to the Friday that has recently passed. For example: "This past Friday, I had an appointment with my doctor."

✓ 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" when you want to emphasize that you are referring to the Friday immediately before the current day, especially if there might be confusion about which Friday you mean.

Common error

Avoid using "this past friday" when you're actually referring to a Friday in the future. If you mean the upcoming Friday, say "this coming friday" or "this friday".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "this past friday" functions as a temporal marker, specifying a particular Friday in the recent past. It typically modifies a verb or clause, providing information about when an event occurred. Ludwig AI indicates the expression is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

35%

Wiki

33%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Science

7%

Encyclopedias

5%

Academia

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "this past friday" is a grammatically correct and understandable way to refer to the most recent Friday. While Ludwig AI confirms its correctness, it's less common than the simpler "last friday". Usage is mainly within news and media contexts. For clarity and emphasis, especially when there might be ambiguity, "this past friday" can be a useful choice. Keep in mind that the expression "this friday" can indicate the closest Friday of the current week.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

last friday

More concise and common way to refer to the previous Friday.

the previous friday

A more formal way to refer to the Friday immediately preceding the current week.

the friday before today

Emphasizes the position of Friday relative to the present day.

friday last week

Highlights that the Friday occurred within the previous week.

friday of last week

Similar to 'friday last week' but slightly more verbose.

the friday just gone

Colloquial phrasing to indicate the Friday that has just passed.

the friday that just passed

Similar to "the friday just gone" but slightly more formal.

a week ago friday

Specifies that the Friday occurred exactly one week prior.

the immediately preceding friday

Formal and emphatic way to denote the Friday directly before the present.

recently elapsed friday

More academic and verbose way to mention the Friday.

FAQs

How is "this past friday" different from "last friday"?

"This past friday" and "last friday" are often interchangeable, but "this past friday" may be used for emphasis or clarity, especially if there's potential ambiguity about which Friday is being referenced. The expression "last friday" is generally more common.

When should I use "this past friday" instead of just "friday"?

Use "this past friday" when the context might make it unclear which Friday you're talking about. If it's already obvious you mean the most recent Friday, simply using "friday" is fine. Be specific like "this friday" when indicating the closest Friday of the current week.

Is "this past friday" formal or informal?

"This past friday" is generally considered neutral in terms of formality and is appropriate in most contexts, but more concise options like "last friday" are more frequent.

What are some alternatives to "this past friday"?

Alternatives include "last friday", "the previous friday", or specifying the date directly (e.g., "on July 11th") for maximum clarity.