Idiom idiom
time is money
Meaning
Work quickly
Examples
“Please hurry up because time is money.”
“The manager told the staff to stop chatting and get back to work because time is money.”
“In this fast-paced industry, every delay costs us a client, and we must remember that time is money.”
Origin
first recorded 18th c.
first recorded 18th c.
Coined in this form by Benjamin Franklin in 'Advice to a Young Tradesman' (1748); the sentiment goes back to the Greek orator Antiphon.
Last updated June 7, 2026