Meanings
plural signs of the times
- idiomaticSomething that is symbolic of an era.
Advertisements of health foods now occupy spaces formerly monopolized by quack medicines, a most healthful sign of the times.
1903, Henry Stephen Clubb, Thirty-nine reasons why I am a vegetarian1 more example
We [the black players]’d get off the coach at away matches and the National Front would be right there in your face. In those days, we didn’t have security and we’d have to run the gauntlet. We’d get to the players’ entrance and there’d be spit on my jacket or Cyrille’s shirt. It was a sign of the times.
2014 July 25, Paul Rees, “‘We got off the coach and the National Front was there … People spat at us’”, in The Guardian
Origin
From Matthew 16:3.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 時代的標誌 /时代的标志
- 時代的標誌 /时代的标志 (shídài de biāozhì)symbol of an era
Finnish ajan merkki
- ajan merkkisymbol of an era
German Zeitzeichen, Zeichen der Zeit
- Zeitzeichensymbol of an era
- Zeichen der Zeitsymbol of an era
Polish znak czasów
- znak czasówsymbol of an era
Russian приме́та вре́мени
- приме́та вре́мени (priméta vrémeni)symbol of an era
Spanish signo de los tiempos
- signo de los tiempossymbol of an era
Swedish tidstecken
- tidsteckensymbol of an era
Cite this entry
sign of the times. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sign%20of%20the%20times
“sign of the times.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sign%20of%20the%20times. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “sign of the times,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/sign%20of%20the%20times.
Source: sign of the times on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.