it goes without saying
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Something is so obvious it doesn't need to be stated
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “it goes without saying” mean?
Something is so obvious it doesn't need to be stated
Is “it goes without saying” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.