in the course of (something)
In or during the process of something. In the course of your employment in the company, were you ever aware or suspicious of any illicit financial activity going on? I learned in the course of the meeting that our department was being downsized by over 50 percent. I learned long ago not to wager on sporting events—too many weird things can happen in the course of a game.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
in the course of
Also, during the course of. In the process or progress of, as in the famous phrase from the Declaration of Independence (1776), "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands ..." These phrases have been criticized as needlessly wordy ( in or during alone are adequate), but they have an emphatic rhythm that keeps them alive. [Mid-1600s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.