there is nothing new under the sun
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: nothing new under the sun · nothing is said that has not been said before
Meaning · English
There is nothing truly novel in existence; every new idea has some sort of precedent or echo from the past.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “there is nothing new under the sun” mean?
There is nothing truly novel in existence; every new idea has some sort of precedent or echo from the past.
Is “there is nothing new under the sun” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.