Time will tell.
Time will tell.
Meaning in plain English
Time will tell suggests that later events may clarify something currently uncertain. It postpones a verdict until more evidence is available.
Example
A group waits for a specified result before deciding whether its prediction was supported.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Tell personifies time as an informer. The supplied gloss promises answers to all life’s questions, which exceeds the wording and is not established. A qualified application identifies what future observation might resolve while recognising that some questions remain uncertain or require action before their outcome is known.
When to use it
Use it to distinguish a pending observation from a settled judgment.
Keep in mind
Not every question will be resolved by waiting, and some decisions cannot be deferred.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 854; PDF page 120
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Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
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