the only constant
2
5.7
- idiom
:
lo único constante
- "Yes," Ashley finally said to her, "but change is the only constant in the universe."
- change is the only constant
- the only constant in life
- the only constant in the universe
Examples
-
"Change is the only constant in life."
Blog text (16) -
This historical perspective is important because it reminds us that the only constant in our industry is change (or, as Yogi Berra put it, "the future ain't what it used to be").
Blog text (31) -
Change is the only constant nowadays.
Blog text (11) -
Yes, change certainly is inevitable, and it is the only constant in the universe.
Blog text (11) -
I'm not entirely sure I like where it's going, but, as some brilliant man once said, "The only constant is change."
Blog text (16) -
It was the only constant in my life, the one thing I could always count on.
Fiction book (2002) -
It is really the only constant thing in life.
Academic text (2010) -
As a senior geologist, with over 40 years studying the earth and its history, I believe the only constant is change.
Blog text (27) -
This is a pretty hackneyed argument - change is the only constant.
Blog text (16) -
Throughout my career, my passion for helping others has been the only constant in my life.
Synonyms
37
4.2
A value that does not change in math or science
1
9.0
Something that stays the same while other things change
A state when something stays the same over time
A state in which something stays the same
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase directly combines 'only' (indicating uniqueness) with 'constant' (not varying), so a B1 learner who knows those words can infer 'the sole thing that does not change.' The definite article 'the' does not alter composition, and similar constructions exist cross-linguistically, making the meaning readily derivable from the parts.
Etymology
The only constant comes from an idea by the old Greek thinker Heraclitus, who said everything keeps changing. So the words only and constant together mean 'the one thing that does not change', and people use the only constant to point to that idea.