To continue advancing steadily and unstoppably; or to walk in a march toward a destination in protest or military formation.
Keep moving forward without stopping; walk together toward a place to protest.
2 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
To continue moving forward steadily, especially used of time, history, or progress.
"Whatever happens, time marches on and we have to adapt."
Time marches on, and sooner or later you have to be ready.
— Commonly attributed to various speakers; used by Winston Churchill in wartime addresses
To walk as a group toward a place, especially as a form of protest or military advance.
"Thousands of demonstrators marched on the parliament building."
To physically march (walk in formation) and continue onward — both the literal and figurative meanings share this core.
Keep moving forward without stopping; walk together toward a place to protest.
In the intransitive sense ('time marches on'), commonly used to express the unstoppable passage of time. In the transitive/directional sense ('march on the capital'), it describes a deliberate collective advance.
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
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