sign of the times
7
4.6
- noun
- Informal
:
signo de los tiempos
- Perhaps that's a sign of the times too.
Examples
-
Some people can blithely ignore the signs of the times and pretend nothing is the matter.
Blog text (21) -
We live in a divided Church, or a parallel Church, and that is the sign of the times.
Blog text (21) -
Stories like this one are but a sign of the times.
Blog text (31) -
I guess it is the sign of the times.
Blog text (31) -
I'm afraid it's a sign of the times, as much as anything else.
Fiction book (2000) -
When she was a little older, she interpreted her mother's silence as a sign of the times.
Fiction book (1993) -
That's the sign of the times, isn't it?
-
Is this a sign of the times, or can't the censors keep up?
Blog text (8) -
Many artists today reflect the changing attitudes in society; their work is often considered a sign of the times.
-
The increased focus on climate change awareness is a clear sign of the times in today's world.
Synonyms
667
2.3
A general change over time in what people do or like
How Indicative
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'sign' (an indicator) with 'the times' (the prevailing era), so its meaning as an indicator of current attitudes or conditions is directly and compositionally derivable from the constituents. This construction (e.g. Spanish 'signo de los tiempos', French 'signe des temps') is cross-linguistically common, making it immediately understandable to a B1 learner who knows the component words.
Etymology
Sign of the times comes from the simple image of a clear sign that shows what the times are like. So today, when we see a new habit or event, we call it a sign of the times because it tells us what life is like now.