stand the test of time
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Persist against odds.
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
FOR a film that has stood the test of time, catch Luis Bunuel's Oscar - winning DISCREET CHARM OF THE BOURGEOISIE (Cert 15; Selected).
A bottom drain is something which has stood the test of time too.
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. Figurative class: Metaphor (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “stand the test of time” mean?
Persist against odds.
Is “stand the test of time” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.