to swim with the stream
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To allow one's actions and principles to be guided solely by the force of public opinion.
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 “to swim with the stream” mean?
To allow one's actions and principles to be guided solely by the force of public opinion.
Is “to swim with the stream” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.