Meanings
- idiomaticDifferent paths can take one to the same goal.
1 more example
They say all roads lead to Rome, and all philosophies that I have ever seen lead ultimately either to some gross absurdity, or else to the conclusion already more than once insisted on in these pages, that the just shall live by faith, that is to say that sensible people will get through life by rule of thumb as they may interpret it most conveniently without asking too many questions for conscience sake.
1873–1884 (date written), Samuel Butler, edited by R[ichard] A[lexander] Streatfeild, The Way of All Flesh, London: Grant Richards, published 1903, →OCLCSynonyms: all roads lead to Mecca, there's more than one way to skin a cat, all roads lead to Sydney
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbDifferent paths can take one to the same goal.
Origin
Modern wording of medieval sentiment; apparently originally a reference to Roman roads generally and the Milliarium Aureum (Golden Milestone) specifically. Appears in the Latin form mīlle viae dūcunt hominēs per saecula Rōmam (“a thousand roads lead men forever to Rome”) in Liber Parabolarum, 591 (1175), by Alain de Lille. The earliest English form appears to be “right as diverse pathes leden the folk the righte wey to Rome”, in A Treatise on the Astrolabe (Prologue, ll. 39–40), 1391, by Geoffrey Chaucer.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic كُلُّ الطُّرُقِ تُؤَدِّي إِلَى رُومَا
- كُلُّ الطُّرُقِ تُؤَدِّي إِلَى رُومَا (kullu ṭ-ṭuruqi tuʔaddī ʔilā romā)different paths can take to the same goal
Bengali সব রাস্তা রোমের দিকে যায়
- সব রাস্তা রোমের দিকে যায় (śobo rasta rōmer dike jaẏ)different paths can take to the same goal
Catalan tots els camins duen a Roma, tots els camins porten a Roma
- tots els camins duen a Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
- tots els camins porten a Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Chinese Cantonese 條條大路通羅馬 /条条大路通罗马
- 條條大路通羅馬 /条条大路通罗马 (tiu⁴ tiu⁴ daai⁶ lou⁶ tung¹ lo⁴ maa⁵)different paths can take to the same goal
Chinese Mandarin 條條大路通羅馬 /条条大路通罗马, 殊途同歸 /殊途同归
- 條條大路通羅馬 /条条大路通罗马 (tiáotiáo dàlù tōng Luómǎ)different paths can take to the same goal
- 殊途同歸 /殊途同归 (shūtútóngguī)different paths can take to the same goal
Czech všechny cesty vedou do Říma
- všechny cesty vedou do Římadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Danish alle veje fører til Rom
- alle veje fører til Romdifferent paths can take to the same goal
Dutch alle wegen leiden naar Rome
- alle wegen leiden naar Romedifferent paths can take to the same goal
Esperanto ĉiuj vojoj kondukas al Romo
- ĉiuj vojoj kondukas al Romodifferent paths can take to the same goal
Estonian kõik teed viivad Rooma
- kõik teed viivad Roomadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Finnish kaikki tiet vievät Roomaan
- kaikki tiet vievät Roomaandifferent paths can take to the same goal
French tous les chemins mènent à Rome
- tous les chemins mènent à Romedifferent paths can take to the same goal
German alle Wege führen nach Rom
- alle Wege führen nach Romdifferent paths can take to the same goal
Greek όλοι οι δρόμοι οδηγούν στη Ρώμη
- όλοι οι δρόμοι οδηγούν στη Ρώμη (óloi oi drómoi odigoún sti Rómi)different paths can take to the same goal
Hebrew כֹּל הַדְּרָכִים מוֹבִילוֹת לְרוֹמָא
- כֹּל הַדְּרָכִים מוֹבִילוֹת לְרוֹמָא (kól had'rakhím movilót l'Róma)different paths can take to the same goal
Hungarian minden út Rómába vezet
- minden út Rómába vezetdifferent paths can take to the same goal
Icelandic allir vegir liggja til Rómar
- allir vegir liggja til Rómardifferent paths can take to the same goal
Indonesian banyak jalan menuju Roma
- banyak jalan menuju Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Italian tutte le strade portano a Roma
- tutte le strade portano a Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Japanese 全ての道はローマに通ず
- 全ての道はローマに通ず (subete no michi wa Rōma ni tsūzu)different paths can take to the same goal
Korean 역지즉개연, 모든 길은 로마로 통한다
- 역지즉개연 (yeokjijeukgaeyeon)different paths can take to the same goal
- 모든 길은 로마로 통한다 (modeun gireun Romaro tonghanda)different paths can take to the same goal
Latin omnēs viae Rōmam dūcunt, omnibus viīs Rōmam pervenītur
- omnēs viae Rōmam dūcuntdifferent paths can take to the same goal
- omnibus viīs Rōmam pervenīturdifferent paths can take to the same goal
Latvian visi ceļi ved uz Romu
- visi ceļi ved uz Romudifferent paths can take to the same goal
Lithuanian visi keliai veda į Romą
- visi keliai veda į Romądifferent paths can take to the same goal
Malay اد باڽق جالن منوجو کمکه, اد باڽق ڤيليهن باݢي منچاڤاي متلامت سام
- اد باڽق جالن منوجو کمکهdifferent paths can take to the same goal
- اد باڽق ڤيليهن باݢي منچاڤاي متلامت سامdifferent paths can take to the same goal
- ada banyak jalan menuju ke Mekahdifferent paths can take to the same goal
- ada banyak pilihan bagi mencapai matlamat samadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Norwegian alle veier fører til Rom
- alle veier fører til Romdifferent paths can take to the same goal
Persian همهیِ راهها به رُم میفرجامند
- همهیِ راهها به رُم میفرجامند (hame-ye râh-hâ be rom mi-farjâmand)different paths can take to the same goal
Polish wszystkie drogi prowadzą do Rzymu
- wszystkie drogi prowadzą do Rzymudifferent paths can take to the same goal
Portuguese todos os caminhos levam a Roma
- todos os caminhos levam a Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Romanian toate drumurile duc la Roma
- toate drumurile duc la Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Russian все доро́ги веду́т в Рим
- все доро́ги веду́т в Рим (vse dorógi vedút v Rim)different paths can take to the same goal
Slovak všetky cesty vedú do Ríma
- všetky cesty vedú do Rímadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Spanish todos los caminos llevan a Roma, todos los caminos conducen a Roma
- todos los caminos llevan a Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
- todos los caminos conducen a Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Swedish alla vägar bär till Rom
- alla vägar bär till Romdifferent paths can take to the same goal
Tagalog lahat ng daan ay magdadala sa'yo sa Roma
- lahat ng daan ay magdadala sa'yo sa Romadifferent paths can take to the same goal
Turkish tüm yollar Roma'ya çıkar
- tüm yollar Roma'ya çıkardifferent paths can take to the same goal
Ukrainian всі доро́ги веду́ть до Риму
- всі доро́ги веду́ть до Риму (vsi doróhy vedútʹ do Rymu)different paths can take to the same goal
Vietnamese đường nào cũng về La Mã
- đường nào cũng về La Mãdifferent paths can take to the same goal
Welsh y mae bob ffordd yn arwain i Rufain
- y mae bob ffordd yn arwain i Rufaindifferent paths can take to the same goal
Cite this entry
all roads lead to Rome. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20roads%20lead%20to%20Rome
“all roads lead to Rome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20roads%20lead%20to%20Rome. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “all roads lead to Rome,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/all%20roads%20lead%20to%20Rome.
Source: all roads lead to Rome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.