time to come
27
3.6
- noun
- And it shall be when your sons ask you in time to come, saying, "What is this?"
- a long time to come
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Watch on YouTubeIn saying that, I hope you stick around for a long time to come.
- In saying that, I hope you stick around for a long time to come.
- It'll alter the way we design and build desktop PCs and their form factor for a long time to come.
Examples
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"You waited all this time to come and tell me this?" The Countess shrugged.
Fiction book (1990) -
It was obvious that for some time to come it would be David the child that I would have to deal with.
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You will have your time to come.
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For some time to come, one should expect these markets to be primarily of national interest.
Academic text (1992) -
Hopefully, we can be with them for a long time to come, but there is no guarantee.
Blog text (22) -
So, whether I have a short time remaining or a long time to come... ...I owe it to my mind to fill it with things of beauty and intelligence.
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Claims on global assistance will continue to be sizable for some time to come.
Academic text (1994) -
Given the scale of these obstacles, Venezuela is likely to remain unstable for a long time to come.
Academic text (2018) -
Mapping the universe will undoubtedly keep us busy, awed, and fascinated for a long time to come.
Academic text (1990) -
Experts predict that technology will continue to evolve in the time to come.
Synonyms
Antonyms
How Immediate
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the period of time that is still in the future' is directly derivable from combining 'time' with the clause-like modifier 'to come' (i.e. 'that will come'), so a learner who knows 'time' and 'come' can infer the future sense. This compositional pattern (time + forthcoming) is common in English and in many other languages, making it readily comprehensible at B1.
Etymology
The phrase time to come pictures time as something that will come to us, like a visitor arriving. That's why it means 'the future'.