peace in our time
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Phrase used by Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister, on his return from Munich on September 30th, 1938, when he imagined that by giving way to Hitler he had averted war.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “peace in our time” mean?
Phrase used by Neville Chamberlain, Prime Minister, on his return from Munich on September 30th, 1938, when he imagined that by giving way to Hitler he had averted war.
Is “peace in our time” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.