Meanings
- idiomaticAs a departure from the usual (whether deliberate or not).
1993 February 17, Bill Clinton, speech, First State of the Union Address, I'd like to use that Superfund to clean up pollution for a change and not just pay lawyers.
4 more examples
He had had a hard time in the City, so he explained. Harris, who is callous in his nature, and not prone to pity, said: "Ah! and now you are going to have a hard time on the river for a change; change is good for everyone. Out you get!"
1889, Jerome K. Jerome, chapter 9, in Three Men in a Boat […]If you've had "nuff" of "the blood of the lamb," Then join in the grand Industrial band; If, for a change, you would have eggs and ham, Then come! Do your share, like a man.
1913, Joe Hill, There Is Power in a Union"I've supported her for seventeen years. Why shouldn't she support herself for a change?"
1919, W. Somerset Maugham, The Moon and Sixpence1931, Robert E. Howard, The TNT Punch (alternate titles: The Waterfront Law, and The Waterfront Wallop), "... But I ain't all softness and mush--feel this here for a change!" And I closed the Kid's eye with a smashing left hander.
Synonyms: for once
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseAs a departure from the usual (whether deliberate or not).
Translations
Finnish vaihteeksi, vaihtelun vuoksi
- vaihteeksias a departure from the usual
- vaihtelun vuoksias a departure from the usual
French pour changer
- pour changeras a departure from the usual
German zur Abwechslung
- zur Abwechslungas a departure from the usual
Hungarian a változatosság kedvéért
- a változatosság kedvéértas a departure from the usual
Indonesian tumben, sekali-sekali
- tumbenas a departure from the usual
- sekali-sekalias a departure from the usual
Polish dla odmiany, na odmianę
- dla odmianyas a departure from the usual
- na odmianęas a departure from the usual
Portuguese para variar
- para variaras a departure from the usual
Russian для разнообра́зия
- для разнообра́зия (dlja raznoobrázija)as a departure from the usual
Spanish para variar
- para variaras a departure from the usual
Swedish för omväxlings skull
- för omväxlings skullas a departure from the usual
Cite this entry
for a change. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20a%20change
“for a change.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20a%20change. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “for a change,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/for%20a%20change.
Source: for a change on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.