Meanings
- Turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo.
Superficial change is not movement, as is indicated by the saying, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.”
1952, “Freedom and Movement—Necessities for Community Well-Being”, in Community Service News, volume 10, number 3, page 652 more examples
There must be some continuity with the past, “or else the world is a madhouse.” Hence, the more things change, the more they stay the same; the more things stay the same, the more they change.
1994, Delwin Brown, Boundaries of Our Habitations: Tradition and Theological Construction, State University of New York Press, →ISBN, page 65On the other hand, the founders would certainly find a familiar state-centric and decentralized institutional approach to problem solving that is incapable of addressing the kinds of life-threatening global challenges increasingly and routinely confronting humanity. As the saying goes, “The more things change, the more they stay the same.”
2009, Thomas G. Weiss, What’s Wrong with the United Nations and How to Fix it, Polity, →ISBN, page 3 - A change of heart must accompany experience before lasting change occurs.
Synonyms: plus ça change
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbA change of heart must accompany experience before lasting change occurs.
Origin
- Frenchplus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
- Englishthe more things change, the more they stay the same
Calque of French plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose.
More words from French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 萬事變化越大，越不會變化, 万事变化越大 /万事变化越大，越不会变化, 万事变化越大
- 萬事變化越大，越不會變化, 万事变化越大 /万事变化越大，越不会变化change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
- 万事变化越大change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
- 万事变化越大，越不会变化 (wànshì biànhuà yuè dà, yuè bù huì biànhuà)change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
- 萬變不離其宗 /万变不离其宗 (wàn biàn bù lí qí zōng)change is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
Dutch hoe meer alles verandert, hoe meer het hetzelfde blijft
- hoe meer alles verandert, hoe meer het hetzelfde blijftchange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
Esperanto ĉio ŝanĝiĝas, sed restas neŝanĝita
- ĉio ŝanĝiĝas, sed restas neŝanĝitachange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
Finnish mitä enemmän asiat muuttuvat, sitä enemmän ne pysyvät ennallaan
- mitä enemmän asiat muuttuvat, sitä enemmän ne pysyvät ennallaanchange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
French plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
- plus ça change, plus c'est la même chosechange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
German je mehr sich verändert, desto mehr bleibt sich gleich, je mehr sich alles ändert, desto mehr bleibt alles gleich
- je mehr sich verändert, desto mehr bleibt sich gleichchange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
- je mehr sich alles ändert, desto mehr bleibt alles gleichchange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
Polish im bardziej się wszystko zmienia, tym bardziej jest tak samo
- im bardziej się wszystko zmienia, tym bardziej jest tak samochange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
Portuguese quanto mais as coisas mudam, mais elas ficam iguais
- quanto mais as coisas mudam, mais elas ficam iguaischange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
Spanish cuanto mientras más cambian las cosas, más permanecen iguales
- cuanto mientras más cambian las cosas, más permanecen igualeschange is constant, unavoidable and a fact of life
Cite this entry
the more things change, the more they stay the same. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20more%20things%20change%2C%20the%20more%20they%20stay%20the%20same
“the more things change, the more they stay the same.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20more%20things%20change%2C%20the%20more%20they%20stay%20the%20same. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the more things change, the more they stay the same,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20more%20things%20change%2C%20the%20more%20they%20stay%20the%20same.
Source: the more things change, the more they stay the same on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.