time immemorial

noun

1

: time so long past as to be indefinite in history or tradition

called also time out of mind

2

: a time antedating a period legally fixed as the basis for a custom or right

Examples of time immemorial in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The flag, a symbol of the tribe’s long and hard-fought sovereignty, the ways its people have given to the Elk Grove community, and ties to land that date back, in Elk Grove Mayor Bobbie Singh-Allen’s remarks, to time immemorial, launches the city’s commemoration of Native American Heritage Month. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 3 Nov. 2025

The mattress first, a mattress from time immemorial that proved to be unbelievably heavy, flabby, and seemingly filled with sand. —Literary Hub, 19 Sep. 2025

From time immemorial, indigenous people occupied areas around San Pedro Creek taking advantage of its incredible natural abundance. —Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2025

Independently, the three land on the same Greyhound bound to Nashville, the mecca of emotional salvation and professional hopes for fledgling country music practitioners time immemorial. —Christopher Smith, Oc Register, 4 Aug. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for time immemorial

• ambassadorial
• combinatorial
• conspiratorial
• gladiatorial
• gubernatorial
• inquisitorial
• mediatorial
• multifactorial
• prosecutorial
• supratentorial
• arboreal
• armorial

Legal Definition

time immemorial

noun

time im·​me·​mo·​ri·​al

-ˌi-mə-ˈmȯr-ē-əl

1

: a time beyond legal memory formerly fixed by English law as the beginning of the reign of Richard I in 1189 but modified in common law

2

: a time going back beyond the memory of any living person