bygones

Bygones is a term that refers to things belonging to the past; often used to describe people, events, fashions, or eras no longer current. As an adjective, it appears in phrases such as bygone days, bygone era, or bygone fashions, meaning former, not contemporary. As a noun, the plural bygones can be used to denote past events in a collective sense, though this usage is less common in modern prose.

The expression is frequently used in historical writing and journalism to evoke a sense of time that has passed, or to contrast past conditions with present ones. It connotes nostalgia but does not inherently imply value judgments. For example, a writer might describe "the tools of bygone industry" to signal artifacts associated with earlier technology.

English speakers also employ the idiom let bygones be bygones, urging people to reconciliation and to treat past disputes as settled. The phrase is commonly used in diplomacy, personal relations, and casual conversation. Its reception varies by context, as some readers view the sentiment as prudent, while others see it as ignoring accountability.

Related terms include past, former, old, antique, and relic; phrases such as bygone era and old-fashioned describe items or periods that are no longer typical. The term is separate from historical analysis or archaeology, which studies bygone times through evidence rather than sentiment.