IT'S JUST / ONLY A MATTER OF TIME (BEFORE ... )

Meaning of IT'S JUST / ONLY A MATTER OF TIME (BEFORE ... ) in English

used to say that sth will definitely happen, although you are not sure when :

It's only a matter of time before they bring out their own version of the software.

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary. Оксфордский английский словарь для изучающик язык на продвинутом уровне. 2005

S
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
IT
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
TIME
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
TIME — I. ˈtīm noun ( -s ) Etymology: Middle English time, tyme, from Old English tīma, tȳma; akin to Old Norse …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
ONLY — I. ˈōnlē, -li adjective Etymology: Middle English only, oonly, from Old English ānlīc, from ān one + -līc -ly — …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
MATTER
Webster's New International English Dictionary
JUST — I. variant of joust II. ˈjəst adjective ( often -er/-est ) Etymology: Middle English just, juste, from Middle French & …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
BEFORE — I. bə̇ˈfō(ə)r, bē-, -ȯ(ə)r, -ōə, -ȯ(ə) adverb Etymology: Middle English before, beforen, adverb & preposition, from Old English beforan, from …
Webster's New International English Dictionary
TIME — /tuym/ , n., adj., v., timed, timing . n. 1. the system of those sequential relations that any event has …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
ONLY
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
MATTER
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
JUST — just 1 /just/ , adj. 1. guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness: We hope to be just in our …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
BEFORE — /bi fawr", -fohr"/ , prep. 1. previous to; earlier or sooner than: Phone me before noon. 2. in front of; …
Random House Webster's Unabridged English Dictionary
ONLY — I. ˈōn-lē adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Old English ānlīc, from ān one — more at one Date: before 12th …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
MATTER
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
JUST — I. ˈjəst, ˈjüst archaic variant of joust II. ˈjəst adjective Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French juste, from …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
BEFORE — I. bi-ˈfȯr, bē- adverb or adjective Etymology: Middle English, adverb & preposition, from Old English beforan, from be- + foran …
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary
ONLY — adj above all others; particularly. 2. only ·adj singly; without more; as, only-begotten. 3. only ·adj so and no otherwise; …
Webster English vocab
MATTER — noun amount; quantity; portion; space; often indefinite. 2. matter ·vt to regard as important; to take account of; to …
Webster English vocab
JUST — adv closely; nearly; almost. 2. just ·noun a joust. 3. just ·vi to joust. 4. just ·adv precisely; exactly; …
Webster English vocab
BEFORE — adv in advance. 2. before ·adv earlier; sooner than; until then. 3. before ·adv in time past; previously; already. 4. …
Webster English vocab
ONLY — [on.ly] adj [ME, fr. OE anlic, fr. an one--more at one] (bef. 12c) 1: unquestionably the best: peerless 2: alone …
Merriam-Webster English vocab
BEFORE — [be.fore] adv or adj [ME, adv. & prep., fr. OE beforan, fr. be- + foran before, fr. fore] (bef. 12c) …
Merriam-Webster English vocab
TIME
Britannica English vocabulary
TIME — / taɪm; NAmE / noun , verb ■ noun —see also times MINUTES / HOURS / YEARS, etc. 1. [ …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
ONLY — / ˈəʊnli; NAmE ˈoʊnli/ adjective , adverb , conjunction ■ adjective [ only before noun ] 1. used to say …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
MATTER — / ˈmætə(r); NAmE / noun , verb ■ noun SUBJECT / SITUATION 1. [ C ] a subject or situation …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
JUST — / dʒʌst; NAmE / adverb , adjective ■ adverb 1. just (like / what / as ... ) exactly : …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
BEFORE — / bɪˈfɔː(r); NAmE / preposition , conjunction , adverb ■ preposition 1. earlier than sb/sth : before lunch the day …
Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
TIME — I. time 1 S1 W1 /taɪm/ BrE AmE noun [ Word Family: noun : ↑ time , ↑ overtime , …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
ONLY — I. on ‧ ly 1 S1 W1 /ˈəʊnli $ ˈoʊn-/ BrE AmE adverb 1 . not more than a particular …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
MATTER — I. mat ‧ ter 1 S1 W1 /ˈmætə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun [ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
JUST — I. just 1 S1 W1 /dʒəst; strong dʒʌst/ BrE AmE adverb 1 . exactly: A good strong cup of coffee …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
BEFORE — I. be ‧ fore 1 S1 W1 /bɪˈfɔː $ -ˈfɔːr/ BrE AmE conjunction 1 . earlier than a particular event …
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
TIME — n. & v. --n. 1 the indefinite continued progress of existence, events, etc., in past, present, and future regarded as …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
ONLY — adv., adj., & conj. --adv. 1 solely, merely, exclusively; and no one or nothing more besides (I only want to …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
MATTER — n. & v. --n. 1 a physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit. b that which has …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
JUST — adj. & adv. --adj. 1 acting or done in accordance with what is morally right or fair. 2 (of treatment …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
BEFORE — conj., prep., & adv. --conj. 1 earlier than the time when (crawled before he walked). 2 rather than that (would …
Английский основной разговорный словарь
TIME — n. & v. n. 1 the indefinite continued progress of existence, events, etc., in past, present, and future regarded as …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
ONLY — adv., adj., & conj. adv. 1 solely, merely, exclusively; and no one or nothing more besides (I only want to …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
MATTER — n. & v. n. 1 a physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit. b that which has …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
JUST — adj. & adv. adj. 1 acting or done in accordance with what is morally right or fair. 2 (of treatment …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
BEFORE — conj., prep., & adv. conj. 1 earlier than the time when (crawled before he walked). 2 rather than that (would …
Concise Oxford English Dictionary
TIME — n. & v. --n. 1. the indefinite continued progress of existence, events, etc., in past, present, and future regarded as …
Oxford English vocab
ONLY — adv., adj., & conj. --adv. 1. solely, merely, exclusively; and no one or nothing more besides (I only want to …
Oxford English vocab
MATTER — n. & v. --n. 1. a physical substance in general, as distinct from mind and spirit. b that which has …
Oxford English vocab
JUST — adj. & adv. --adj. 1. acting or done in accordance with what is morally right or fair. 2 (of treatment …
Oxford English vocab
BEFORE — conj., prep., & adv. --conj. 1. earlier than the time when (crawled before he walked). 2 rather than that (would …
Oxford English vocab
JUST — I. ADVERB USES /dʒʌst/ Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Please look at …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
TIME — ( times, timing, timed) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. Time is …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
ONLY — Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: In written English, 'only' is usually …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
MATTER — ( matters, mattering, mattered) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. A matter …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
BEFORE — Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: In addition to the uses shown …
Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary
ONLY — Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: In written English, '~' is usually …
Collins COBUILD - Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык
BEFORE — Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. Note: In addition to the uses shown …
Collins COBUILD - Толковый словарь английского языка для изучающих язык
ONLY — I. adverb COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES all that matters/the only thing that matters ▪ All that matters is that you’re …
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
MATTER — I. noun COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a matter of common sense (= something that requires no more than common sense …
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
JUST
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
BEFORE
Longman DOCE5 Extras English vocabulary
ONLY — (SINGLE OR FEW) [adjective] [before noun; not gradable] - used to show that there is a single one or very …
Cambridge English vocab
BEFORE — (IN FRONT) [preposition] - in front ofThe letter K comes before L in the Roman alphabet.Many mothers put their children's …
Cambridge English vocab
BEFORE — adv. Function: preposition 1 coming before in space or time FF1C; be home before dark FF1E; Synonyms: ahead of, ante, …
Collegiate Thesaurus English vocab
BEFORE — adv. Function: adverb 1 so as to precede something in order or time FF1C; racing on before to give warning …
Collegiate Thesaurus English vocab

Oxford Advanced Learner's English Dictionary

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