"the more things change, the more they stay the same" meaning in English

See the more things change, the more they stay the same in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proverb

Etymology: English translation of French plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose. Etymology templates: {{cln|en|undefined derivations}}, {{uder|en|fr|plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose}} French plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose Head templates: {{head|en|proverb|head=}} the more things change, the more they stay the same, {{en-proverb}} the more things change, the more they stay the same
  1. Turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.
    Sense id: en-the_more_things_change,_the_more_they_stay_the_same-en-proverb-Ha9P0vzW Categories (other): English proverbs, English undefined derivations Disambiguation of English proverbs: 55 45 Disambiguation of English undefined derivations: 64 36
  2. A change of heart must accompany experience before lasting change occurs. Synonyms: plus ça change Translations (change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life): 萬事變化越大,越不會變化, 万事变化越大 (Chinese Mandarin), 万事变化越大,越不会变化 (Chinese Mandarin), 万事变化越大 (Chinese Mandarin), 万事变化越大,越不会变化 (wànshì biànhuà yuè dà, yuè bù huì biànhuà) (Chinese Mandarin), 萬變不離其宗 (Chinese Mandarin), 万变不离其宗 (wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng) (Chinese Mandarin), hoe meer alles verandert, hoe meer het hetzelfde blijft (Dutch), ĉio ŝanĝiĝas, sed restas neŝanĝita (Esperanto), mitä enemmän asiat muuttuvat, sitä enemmän ne pysyvät ennallaan (Finnish), plus ça change (French), plus c’est la même chose (French), je mehr sich verändert, desto mehr bleibt sich gleich (German), im bardziej się wszystko zmienia, tym bardziej jest tak samo (Polish), quanto mais as coisas mudam, mais elas ficam iguais (Portuguese)
    Sense id: en-the_more_things_change,_the_more_they_stay_the_same-en-proverb-8BE~UX0q Categories (other): English proverbs Disambiguation of English proverbs: 55 45 Disambiguation of 'change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life': 38 62

Download JSON data for the more things change, the more they stay the same meaning in English (5.2kB)

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        "3": "plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose"
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      "expansion": "French plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose",
      "name": "uder"
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  "etymology_text": "English translation of French plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose.",
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          "ref": "1952, “Freedom and Movement—Necessities for Community Well-Being”, in Community Service News, volume 10, number 3, page 65",
          "text": "Superficial change is not movement, as is indicated by the saying, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”",
          "type": "quotation"
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        {
          "ref": "1994, Delwin Brown, Boundaries of Our Habitations: Tradition and Theological Construction, State University of New York Press, page 65",
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          "type": "quotation"
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          "ref": "2009, Thomas G. Weiss, What’s Wrong with the United Nations and How to Fix it, Polity, page 3",
          "text": "On the other hand, the founders would certainly find a familiar state-centric and decentralized institutional approach to problem solving that is incapable of addressing the kinds of life-threatening global challenges increasingly and routinely confronting humanity. As the saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
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        "Turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo."
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      "id": "en-the_more_things_change,_the_more_they_stay_the_same-en-proverb-Ha9P0vzW",
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        "A change of heart must accompany experience before lasting change occurs."
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      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "43 57",
          "word": "plus ça change"
        }
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "萬事變化越大,越不會變化, 万事变化越大"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "万事变化越大,越不会变化"
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        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
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          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "万事变化越大"
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        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "wànshì biànhuà yuè dà, yuè bù huì biànhuà",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "万事变化越大,越不会变化"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "萬變不離其宗"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "万变不离其宗"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "hoe meer alles verandert, hoe meer het hetzelfde blijft"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "eo",
          "lang": "Esperanto",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "ĉio ŝanĝiĝas, sed restas neŝanĝita"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "mitä enemmän asiat muuttuvat, sitä enemmän ne pysyvät ennallaan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "plus ça change"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "plus c’est la même chose"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "je mehr sich verändert, desto mehr bleibt sich gleich"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "pl",
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          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "im bardziej się wszystko zmienia, tym bardziej jest tak samo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "38 62",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
          "word": "quanto mais as coisas mudam, mais elas ficam iguais"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "the more things change, the more they stay the same"
}
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      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1952, “Freedom and Movement—Necessities for Community Well-Being”, in Community Service News, volume 10, number 3, page 65",
          "text": "Superficial change is not movement, as is indicated by the saying, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”",
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        {
          "ref": "1994, Delwin Brown, Boundaries of Our Habitations: Tradition and Theological Construction, State University of New York Press, page 65",
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        {
          "ref": "2009, Thomas G. Weiss, What’s Wrong with the United Nations and How to Fix it, Polity, page 3",
          "text": "On the other hand, the founders would certainly find a familiar state-centric and decentralized institutional approach to problem solving that is incapable of addressing the kinds of life-threatening global challenges increasingly and routinely confronting humanity. As the saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”",
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      "glosses": [
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        "A change of heart must accompany experience before lasting change occurs."
      ]
    }
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  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "plus ça change"
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  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "萬事變化越大,越不會變化, 万事变化越大"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "万事变化越大,越不会变化"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "万事变化越大"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "wànshì biànhuà yuè dà, yuè bù huì biànhuà",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "万事变化越大,越不会变化"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "萬變不離其宗"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "万变不离其宗"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "hoe meer alles verandert, hoe meer het hetzelfde blijft"
    },
    {
      "code": "eo",
      "lang": "Esperanto",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "ĉio ŝanĝiĝas, sed restas neŝanĝita"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "mitä enemmän asiat muuttuvat, sitä enemmän ne pysyvät ennallaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "plus ça change"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "plus c’est la même chose"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "je mehr sich verändert, desto mehr bleibt sich gleich"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "im bardziej się wszystko zmienia, tym bardziej jest tak samo"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life",
      "word": "quanto mais as coisas mudam, mais elas ficam iguais"
    }
  ],
  "word": "the more things change, the more they stay the same"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-04-17 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-04-01 using wiktextract (0b52755 and 5cb0836). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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