Rome was not built in one day

Meaning

Major and important projects take time.

Examples

The new airport won’t be finished for another ten years. I know Rome wasn’t built in a day but that seems too long to wait.

Where did it originate?

Britain, 16th century. From a translation of Erasmus’s proverbs.

Where is it used?

Worldwide, but less commonly than in the past.

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About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Rome was not built in one day