"time immemorial" meaning in English

See time immemorial in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Forms: times immemorial [plural]
Head templates: {{en-noun|-|times immemorial}} time immemorial (usually uncountable, plural times immemorial)
  1. (countable, uncountable) Time that extends beyond memory or record. Tags: countable, uncountable, usually Categories (topical): History of the United Kingdom, Time Synonyms: time out of mind Translations (time that extends beyond memory or record): muinaisuus (Finnish), ammoiset ajat [plural] (Finnish), temps immémorial (French), უხსოვარი დრო (uxsovari dro) (Georgian), unbekannte Zeit [feminine] (German), Menschengedenken [neuter] (German), da che mondo è mondo (Italian), памтивек (pamtivek) [masculine] (Macedonian), od dawien dawna (Polish), незапа́мятные времена́ (nezapámjatnyje vremená) [neuter, plural] (Russian), tiempo inmemorial [masculine] (Spanish), urminnes tider (Swedish)
    Sense id: en-time_immemorial-en-noun-WXzANK2j Disambiguation of History of the United Kingdom: 49 51 Disambiguation of Time: 59 41 Categories (other): English terms with collocations, English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Georgian translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Macedonian translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Swedish translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 67 33 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 89 11 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 77 23 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 88 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 69 31 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 93 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Georgian translations: 63 37 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 88 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 93 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 69 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 56 44 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 69 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 93 7 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 95 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Swedish translations: 66 34 Disambiguation of 'time that extends beyond memory or record': 85 15
  2. (UK law, uncountable) Time before 6 July 1189. Tags: UK, uncountable, usually Categories (topical): Law, History of the United Kingdom Translations (time before 6 July 1189): ammoiset ajat [plural] (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-time_immemorial-en-noun-nBhn~OCL Disambiguation of History of the United Kingdom: 49 51 Categories (other): British English, English terms where the adjective follows the noun Disambiguation of English terms where the adjective follows the noun: 42 58 Topics: law Disambiguation of 'time before 6 July 1189': 18 82

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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          "text": "from time immemorial",
          "type": "example"
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          "ref": "1870, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter XVII, in Lothair. […], volume III, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, pages 177–178:",
          "text": "My home is in the North of Palestine on the other side of Jordan, beyond the Sea of Galilee. My family has dwelt there from time immemorial, but they always loved this city, and have a legend that they dwelt occasionally within its walls, even in the days when Titus from that hill looked down upon the temple.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "The tower had been consecrated to this ancient diversion from time immemorial, the western façade conveniently forming the boundary of the churchyard at that end, where the ground was trodden hard and bare as a pavement by the players.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1875 January–December, Henry James, Jr., Roderick Hudson, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, late Ticknor & Fields, and Fields, Osgood, & Co., published 1876, →OCLC; republished as Roderick Hudson (EBook #176), U.S.A.: Project Gutenberg, 18 September 2016:",
          "text": "She had worn from time immemorial an old blue satin dress, and a white crape shawl embroidered in colors; […]",
          "type": "quote"
        },
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          "ref": "1884, A Square [pseudonym; Edwin A. Abbott], Flatland […] , London: Seeley & Co., Part I: This World, § 4.— Concerning the Women:",
          "text": "In every Circular or Polygonal household it has been a habit from time immemorial[…]that the mothers and daughters should constantly keep their eyes and mouths towards their husband and his male friends; and for a lady in a family of distinction to turn her back upon her husband would be regarded as a kind of portent, involving loss of status.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1888 [1848], Samuel Moore, transl., edited by Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto, translation of Das Kommunistische Manifest by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels:",
          "text": "The Communists have no need to introduce community of women; it has existed almost from time immemorial.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1905 April–October, Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1906 February 26, →OCLC:",
          "text": "This is a great tract of a hundred thousand acres, which from time immemorial has been a hunting preserve of the nobility.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1917, The English Reports: Exchequer, page 789:",
          "text": "That there is and from time immemorial has been within that part of the parish called Mablethorpe St. Mary's a laudable custom that, if any outdweller take ancient pasture ground, he shall pay a modus of 4d. an acre, and so in proportion, on the 1st of August, in lieu of all manner of tithe; and that if any of the ancient pasture be once ploughed up or meadowed, it shall, when restored to pasture again, pay 4d. the acre in the hands of such outdweller.",
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          "ref": "2002 September 15, David Chase, “For All Debts Public and Private”, in The Sopranos, season 4, episode 1, spoken by Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini):",
          "text": "This thing is a \"pyramid\" since time immemorial, shit goes downhill, money goes up: it's that simple.",
          "type": "quote"
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        "Time that extends beyond memory or record."
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      "id": "en-time_immemorial-en-noun-WXzANK2j",
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          "Time",
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(countable, uncountable) Time that extends beyond memory or record."
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          "word": "time out of mind"
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "note": "有史以前 (yǒushǐ yǐqián, literally “before history”)",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record"
        },
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          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "word": "muinaisuus"
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          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
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        },
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          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "word": "temps immémorial"
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          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "ka",
          "lang": "Georgian",
          "roman": "uxsovari dro",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "word": "უხსოვარი დრო"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "unbekannte Zeit"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "Menschengedenken"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "word": "da che mondo è mondo"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "mk",
          "lang": "Macedonian",
          "roman": "pamtivek",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "памтивек"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "word": "od dawien dawna"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nezapámjatnyje vremená",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "tags": [
            "neuter",
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "незапа́мятные времена́"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "tiempo inmemorial"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "85 15",
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
          "word": "urminnes tider"
        }
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        "Time before 6 July 1189."
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      ],
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      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "18 82",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "time before 6 July 1189",
          "tags": [
            "plural"
          ],
          "word": "ammoiset ajat"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "time immemorial"
  ],
  "word": "time immemorial"
}
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          "ref": "1870, B[enjamin] Disraeli, chapter XVII, in Lothair. […], volume III, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., →OCLC, pages 177–178:",
          "text": "My home is in the North of Palestine on the other side of Jordan, beyond the Sea of Galilee. My family has dwelt there from time immemorial, but they always loved this city, and have a legend that they dwelt occasionally within its walls, even in the days when Titus from that hill looked down upon the temple.",
          "type": "quote"
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        {
          "ref": "1874, Thomas Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Smith, Elder & Co., […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "The tower had been consecrated to this ancient diversion from time immemorial, the western façade conveniently forming the boundary of the churchyard at that end, where the ground was trodden hard and bare as a pavement by the players.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1875 January–December, Henry James, Jr., Roderick Hudson, Boston, Mass.: James R[ipley] Osgood and Company, late Ticknor & Fields, and Fields, Osgood, & Co., published 1876, →OCLC; republished as Roderick Hudson (EBook #176), U.S.A.: Project Gutenberg, 18 September 2016:",
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          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "1884, A Square [pseudonym; Edwin A. Abbott], Flatland […] , London: Seeley & Co., Part I: This World, § 4.— Concerning the Women:",
          "text": "In every Circular or Polygonal household it has been a habit from time immemorial[…]that the mothers and daughters should constantly keep their eyes and mouths towards their husband and his male friends; and for a lady in a family of distinction to turn her back upon her husband would be regarded as a kind of portent, involving loss of status.",
          "type": "quote"
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        {
          "ref": "1888 [1848], Samuel Moore, transl., edited by Friedrich Engels, The Communist Manifesto, translation of Das Kommunistische Manifest by Karl Marx & Friedrich Engels:",
          "text": "The Communists have no need to introduce community of women; it has existed almost from time immemorial.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1905 April–October, Upton Sinclair, The Jungle, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1906 February 26, →OCLC:",
          "text": "This is a great tract of a hundred thousand acres, which from time immemorial has been a hunting preserve of the nobility.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1917, The English Reports: Exchequer, page 789:",
          "text": "That there is and from time immemorial has been within that part of the parish called Mablethorpe St. Mary's a laudable custom that, if any outdweller take ancient pasture ground, he shall pay a modus of 4d. an acre, and so in proportion, on the 1st of August, in lieu of all manner of tithe; and that if any of the ancient pasture be once ploughed up or meadowed, it shall, when restored to pasture again, pay 4d. the acre in the hands of such outdweller.",
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        {
          "ref": "2002 September 15, David Chase, “For All Debts Public and Private”, in The Sopranos, season 4, episode 1, spoken by Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini):",
          "text": "This thing is a \"pyramid\" since time immemorial, shit goes downhill, money goes up: it's that simple.",
          "type": "quote"
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Time that extends beyond memory or record."
      ],
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    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "note": "有史以前 (yǒushǐ yǐqián, literally “before history”)",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "word": "muinaisuus"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "ammoiset ajat"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "word": "temps immémorial"
    },
    {
      "code": "ka",
      "lang": "Georgian",
      "roman": "uxsovari dro",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "word": "უხსოვარი დრო"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "unbekannte Zeit"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "Menschengedenken"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "word": "da che mondo è mondo"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "pamtivek",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "памтивек"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "word": "od dawien dawna"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nezapámjatnyje vremená",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "tags": [
        "neuter",
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "незапа́мятные времена́"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tiempo inmemorial"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "time that extends beyond memory or record",
      "word": "urminnes tider"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "time before 6 July 1189",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ],
      "word": "ammoiset ajat"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "time immemorial"
  ],
  "word": "time immemorial"
}

Download raw JSONL data for time immemorial meaning in English (7.1kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-01-03 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-01-01 using wiktextract (eaedd02 and 8fbd9e8). 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.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.