matter of time

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Noun

matter of time (uncountable)

1. (idiomatic) An inevitable result; something that is bound to happen.
   • 1996, “Return to Grace”, in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, season 4, episode 14 (Science Fiction), →OCLC:

     DUKAT: I blame no one but myself. I was indiscreet. I compromised myself and have been punished accordingly. If someone under my command had behaved so outrageously, I would do the same thing to him. Besides, I assure you, this is only a temporary setback. Everything I have lost, I will regain. It's only a matter of time.

   • 2010, “Walk in the Park”, in Victoria Legrand (lyrics), Teen Dream, performed by Beach House:

     In a matter of time it would slip from my mind / In and out of my life, you would slip from my mind / In a matter of time

   • 2011 September 13, Sam Lyon, “Borussia Dortmund 1 - 1 Arsenal”, in BBC‎^[1]:

     Dortmund continued to control proceedings, however, and it looked only a matter of time before they would break through.

Synonyms

• question of time

Derived terms

• it's only a matter of time

 

Translations

an inevitable result

• Afrikaans: kwessie van tyd
• Danish: spørgsmål om tid n
• Dutch: kwestie van tijd f
• Estonian: aja küsimus
• Finnish: ajan kysymys
• French: question de temps f
• German: Frage der Zeit f
• Italian: questione di tempo f
• Japanese: 時間の問題 (じかんのもんだい, jikan no mondai)
• Polish: kwestia czasu f
• Russian: вопро́с вре́мени m (voprós vrémeni)
• Spanish: cuestión de tiempo f
• Swedish: tidsfråga (sv) c
• Turkish: an meselesi