ago

[ uh-goh ]

adjective

1. gone; gone by; past (usually preceded by a noun):

   five days ago.

adverb

1. in past time; in the past:

   All this happened long ago.

ago

/ əˈɡəʊ /

adverb

1. in the past

   long ago

   five years ago

Usage

The use of ago with since ( it's ten years ago since he wrote the novel ) is redundant and should be avoided: it is ten years since he wrote the novel

Word History and Origins

Origin of ago¹

before 1000; Middle English ago ( n ), Old English āgān, past participle of āgān to go by, pass, equivalent to ā- a- ³ + gān to go ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of ago¹

C14 ago, from Old English āgān to pass away

Example Sentences

The bird flu crisis, driven by the H5N1 virus, began several years ago, but ramped up considerably in April when dairy cows started becoming infected.

From Salon

Deborah's diagnosis was 30 years ago, and she and her husband ultimately went on to adopt.

From BBC

J&J has been accused of knowing decades ago that its baby powder could contain contaminants of asbestos.

From BBC

Twenty-five years ago, in front of a packed crowd of 90,185 at California's Rose Bowl Stadium, Brandi Chastain stepped up to score the winning spot-kick in a penalty shootout as the United States beat China to win the Women’s World Cup on home soil.

From BBC

Interest rates were cut for the second time this year to 4.75% two weeks ago, but further cuts are not expected until 2025.

From BBC