only time will tell
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
Only time will tell whether his revelations will include Why The Lamborghini Had To Go.
In those cases with indeterminate colitis, only time will tell whether these patients behave as those with ulcerative colitis or true Crohn's disease.
British National Corpus sentence via the MAGPIE corpus (CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review.
Common questions
What does “only time will tell” mean?
Recognized English idiom; full definition pending editorial review.
Is “only time will tell” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.