come into play
come into play (idiom)
/ˌkʌm ˈɪntuː pleɪ/
Meanings
- To become active, relevant, or influential in a situation.
- To start being used or having an effect.
- To begin to operate or take effect, especially for rules, laws, or policies.
- To contribute to or influence an outcome or situation.
- (Sports, Literal) To enter a game or match as a player.
Synonyms: become relevant; take effect; enter the picture; be introduced; become operative; come into effect; influence; contribute.
Example Sentences
- New technology came into play to solve the problem.
- New safety protocols came into play after the accident.
- Several cultural factors came into play during the discussion.
- The new law will come into play next year.
- Personal bias can come into play when judging a competition.
- The substitute striker came into play in the final minutes. (literal)
Origin and History
The idiom “come into play” denotes something becoming active, relevant, or influential in a specific context, often used in discussions of strategy, rules, or situational dynamics. Its core meaning derives from the noun play, which in Early Modern English (circa 1590s) signified “activity” or “operation.” This sense underpins related expressions like “in full play” and “come into play,” meaning to enter into effect or operation.
Linguistic Development
The English word play originates from Old English plegan or plæga, meaning “quick motion,” “recreation,” or “brisk activity.” By the 1650s, play had evolved to include “scope or room for action,” facilitating figurative constructions such as “come into play” and “bring into play.” These phrases describe agents, forces, or factors beginning to operate or being set into motion, reflecting a broadening of the term’s semantic range in Early Modern English.
Country of Origin
The idiom “come into play” is distinctly English, emerging from British linguistic and cultural contexts. Its early figurative uses are documented in British sources from the late medieval and Renaissance periods, with the phrase gaining prominence in Early Modern and 18th-century English. The cultural significance of games, sports, and performances in England likely influenced its development.
Earliest Printed Record
The underlying sense of “play” as “activity” or “operation” is attested from the 1590s, forming the basis for idioms like “come into play.” One of the earliest documented uses of the idiom appears in 1639 in Thomas Fuller’s The Historie of the Holy Warre. In Book V, Chapter 30 (page 286), it reads:
“Perchance the Western Christians, or the Grecians, under him (though these be better for seconds then firsts, fitter to foment then raise a faction) or his own Janizaries, or the Persian, or the Tartar, or some other obscure Prince not as yet come into play in the World, shall have the lustre from God to maul this great Empire.”
The first edition was published in 1639, with the 1640 edition also widely circulated and often cited in references.
This passage clearly employs “come into play” in its figurative sense of “begin to have an effect or role.” Fuller’s text therefore stands as the earliest known printed record of the idiom in English, firmly establishing its presence in the mid-17th century.
Theories of Origin
The primary theory of origin attributes “come into play” to sports and games, particularly ball games like tennis or cricket, where a ball or player “comes into play” upon entering active competition. This literal usage, prevalent in 16th- and 17th-century England, extended metaphorically to describe any element becoming operative. An alternative theory suggests a theatrical influence, where “play” refers to dramatic performances, but this is less supported due to the predominance of gaming-related contexts in early records. A minor mechanical theory links “play” to free movement in machinery by the mid-17th century, implying factors “engaging” like gears. The sports theory remains the most widely accepted, rooted in England’s historical emphasis on recreational activities.
Consolidation and Variants
By the late 17th and 18th centuries, “come into play” and its transitive counterpart “bring into play” were firmly established in British prose, particularly in political and historical writing. For example, phrases like “brought into play a new engine of political attack” appear in narratives of party conflict, meaning “set into effective operation.” Variants such as “bring into play,” “put into play,” and “in play” emerged alongside “come into play,” with “bring into play” functioning as a transitive form meaning “to cause to act.” These variants, widely attested in 18th- and 19th-century texts, are recorded in idiom dictionaries and reflect the phrase’s versatility.
Origin Summary
- Semantic Root: Play as “activity” or “operation” (1590s).
- Idiomatic Emergence: Early Modern English, primarily British.
- Earliest Printed Evidence: 1639, Thomas Fuller, The Historie of the Holy Warre (“come into play”).
- Key Variants: Come into play (intransitive, begin to operate); bring into play (transitive, cause to operate).
- Primary Origin: Likely derived from sports and games, with figurative extension to broader contexts.
Variants
- bring into play
- put into play
- in play
- come into effect (closely related)
- come into action (closely related)
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