Did You Know?

Time is money. "Time is the great physician." "Time is a dressmaker specializing in alterations." Everyone seems to know what time is, but what does it mean to be "timeless"—that is, "without time"? Until around the turn of the 20th century, timeless was sometimes used to mean "untimely" or "premature," as in "he met his timeless end." That usage, which dates back to the late 16th century, is now considered archaic, but an equally venerable sense, "eternal" or "having no beginning or end," has proven more enduring. The two remaining senses are somewhat newer. The "not restricted to a particular time or date" meaning dates to the mid-18th century, while the most modern meaning—"ageless"—didn't exist until just before the turn of the 20th century. (By the way, the quotations we started with came from Benjamin Franklin, British statesman Benjamin Disraeli, and American writer Faith Baldwin, respectively.)

Examples of timeless in a Sentence

The dresses that she designs are elegant and timeless. the timeless beauty of the sea

Recent Examples on the Web Cuarón’s images would have been impossible in any previous year, but the film’s themes are timeless. — Keith Phipps, Vulture, "The Best Movies That Lost Best Picture at the Oscars," 27 Apr. 2021 Those tracks are seemingly timeless, untouched by early Aughts rock fads, reminding us that this is a band of music nerds who used to geek out over classic punk and psych. — Brenna Ehrlich, Rolling Stone, "The Mars Volta’s ‘La Realidad de los Sueños’ Is a Time Machine, a Treasure Chest, a Key," 22 Apr. 2021 The interior of Framingham Station Brazilian Steakhouse is beautiful and timeless. — BostonGlobe.com, "3 places we supported this week," 20 Apr. 2021 The brushed chrome design is stylish, modern and timeless, and would look great in any kitchen. — Tanya Edwards, CNN Underscored, "The best hand mixers of 2021," 2 Apr. 2021 The silhouette, hardware, and branding are subtle and timeless, and the chain strap is removable so the bag can be used as a clutch. — Nicola Fumo, Forbes, "7 Stylish Crossbody Bags For Work, Travel & Everyday," 16 Apr. 2021 That explains why their prints and designs are truly timeless. — Celia Shatzman, Forbes, "Luxury Line Printfresh Mastered The Pandemic Uniform Of Chic And Cozy Pajamas," 1 Mar. 2021 But Cleary’s compassionate and funny portrayal of childhood will always feel timeless. — Washington Post, "Beverly Cleary, through Ramona, captured the essence of childhood," 27 Mar. 2021 What follows is a hundred-odd-page account, related in the first person by the man, detailing the unholy course of an affair that comes to seem emblematic of the times, yet psychologically timeless. — Vivian Gornick, The New York Review of Books, "Sex, Noir & Isolation," 9 Mar. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'timeless.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.