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Coordinated Universal Time
noun
: the international standard of time that is kept by atomic clocks around the world
—abbreviation UTC
compare greenwich mean time, universal time
Examples of Coordinated Universal Time in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The latest predictions now have a G3 storm watch in place from Oct. 4 through Oct. 6, but since the prediction center uses Coordinated Universal Time, that means the G3 watch really begins Thursday evening in local time, Brasher confirmed in an email after the watches were updated.
—Darcie Moran, Detroit Free Press, 3 Oct. 2024
Moon missions always account for the cycles of the lunar night and day, each of which lasts two weeks, but there is currently no standard timescale on the moon similar to the Coordinated Universal Time system that keeps clocks ticking in tandem here on Earth.
—Becky Ferreira, WIRED, 4 Sep. 2024
Bovet met this challenge head on with the Recital 28 Prowess 1, accounting for all 24 global time zones as well as Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), American summertime (AST), European and American summertime (EAS), and European wintertime (EWT).
—Cait Bazemore, Robb Report, 19 July 2024
Using precise atomic clocks, astronauts stay synchronized with Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the global standard by which all clocks are ultimately set.
—Discover Magazine, 9 July 2024
On Earth, Coordinated Universal Time, or UTC, is the standard used to set all time zones around the world.
—George Petras, USA TODAY, 23 Apr. 2024
Currently missions involving the moon are conducted on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), the standard used globally to regulate all clocks.
—Caralin Nunes, The Arizona Republic, 24 Apr. 2024
On Earth, those zones are set using Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which reflects a weighted average measurement of hundreds of extremely precise atomic clocks placed around the globe.
—Kai McNamee, NPR, 9 Apr. 2024
Most timekeeping on Earth is tied to Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), which relies on an international array of atomic clocks designed to determine the most precise time possible.
—Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 3 Apr. 2024
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Word History
First Known Use
1969, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of Coordinated Universal Time was
in 1969
Dictionary Entries Near Coordinated Universal Time
Cite this Entry
“Coordinated Universal Time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Coordinated%20Universal%20Time. Accessed 23 Dec. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on Coordinated Universal Time
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about Coordinated Universal Time
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