1.
If you say that every cloud has a silver lining , you mean that every sad or unpleasant situation has a positive side to it.
As they say, every cloud has a silver lining. We have drawn lessons from the decisions taken.
PHRASE
2.
If you talk about a silver lining , you are talking about something positive that comes out of a sad or unpleasant situation.
The fall in inflation is the silver lining of the prolonged recession.
N-SING