tale as old as time

noun

A story, subject, or theme so timeless and ageless that it can be used or retold in any time period.

“The story of Beauty and the Beast is a tale as old as time.”

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Meanings

noun
  1. A story, subject, or theme so timeless and ageless that it can be used or retold in any time period.

    The story of Beauty and the Beast is a tale as old as time.

  2. An experience that has always been lived or felt across time.
  3. broadlyA recurring event or concept that continuously repeats throughout history.
  4. excessiveSomething which is very old or everlasting.
  5. humorousinformaloftenA common or easily predictable recurring situation or scenario.

Origin

From the song "Beauty and the Beast" from the 1991 Disney animated film Beauty and the Beast.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

tale as old as time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tale%20as%20old%20as%20time

MLA

“tale as old as time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tale%20as%20old%20as%20time. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tale as old as time,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tale%20as%20old%20as%20time.

Source: tale as old as time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.