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

This particular piece utilizes the material on a silhouette that’s been synonymous with disco culture since time immemorial. — Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 21 June 2026

There are a lot of verses in the Bible’s Book of Leviticus, but a single passage in particular seems to get trotted out time immemorial. — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 17 June 2026

For more than a century, British colonial authorities and, later, Kenyan government officials, have all sought to evict the people who have lived there since time immemorial. — Buket Altınçelep, The Conversation, 12 June 2026

Its grandeur, natural beauty, and larger-than-life mythos fuel these narratives, with some of the most sacred stories belonging to those who have resided on the land from time immemorial. — Arati Menon, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for time immemorial

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

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