time out of mind
1
9.4
- idiom
- Archaic
:
desde tiempos inmemoriales
- The ancient ruins date back to time out of mind.
Examples
-
This tradition has been passed down through generations since time out of mind, originating in the distant past.
-
Stories of the ancient kingdom have existed since time out of mind.
-
The forest has stood here from time out of mind, unchanged by the world around it.
-
Traditions rooted in time out of mind are still celebrated in this village.
-
This tradition has existed since time out of mind.
-
People have engaged in trade in this region since time out of mind, long before any records were kept.
-
Historians believe that humans have lived on this land since time out of mind, with traces of ancient settlements still found today.
Synonyms
6
8.0
A very long time in the past that people cannot remember
A period in the past before now
Antonyms
How Recent
287
1.0
16
3.3
5
4.4
18
3.3
8
4.8
- Archaic
1
9.4
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase can be parsed compositionally as 'time' that is 'out of' (beyond) 'mind' (i.e., beyond human memory), so there is a clear conceptual link to 'a very long time' or 'since ancient times'. However, the usage is somewhat archaic and requires mapping 'mind' to 'memory' and the idiomatic sense of 'out of' = 'beyond', so a B1 learner who merely knows the constituent words may not reliably infer the exact meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Time out of mind shows the image of a time pushed out of the mind so people cannot remember it. So, it means 'the distant past'.