behind its time

1. Out of date, antiquated, or obsolete. Your pocket watch looks charming, but it's a little behind its time. A rotary phone? Aunt Marie, that's kind of behind its time, don't you think? A: "None of my students had even heard of a mimeograph machine!" B: "OK, Dad, that's definitely behind its time at this point!"

2. Falling behind more recent advances (e.g., in one's field of work or study). Many consider his essay on genetics to be rather behind its time. Why should we fund research based on a premise that's already behind its time? If your business isn't environmentally conscious, it's definitely behind its time.

3. Late; behind schedule. The train is really behind its time. I sure hope the car service isn't behind its time—we cannot miss this flight! You're waiting for the city bus? Yeah, that thing's always behind its time during rush hour.

See also: behind, time

See also:

References in classic literature

While incidents like these, arising out of drums and masquerades and parties at quadrille, were passing at the west end of the town, heavy stagecoaches and scarce heavier waggons were lumbering slowly towards the city, the coachmen, guard, and passengers, armed to the teeth, and the coach--a day or so perhaps behind its time, but that was nothing--despoiled by highwaymen; who made no scruple to attack, alone and single-handed, a whole caravan of goods and men, and sometimes shot a passenger or two, and were sometimes shot themselves, as the case might be.

View in context

This coach is rather behind its time to-day, I guess.

View in context

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