lead time

noun

ˈlēd- 

: the time between the beginning of a process or project and the appearance of its results

Examples of lead time in a Sentence

We will need at least six months lead time before production begins.

Recent Examples on the Web

Factors in the buffer calculation can include historical material consumption, raw material lead times, variability in on-time deliveries, geopolitical and supplier risk factors, and customer dynamics. — Steve Banker, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

The expansion is expected to improve manufacturing efficiency, reduce production lead times, and enhance throughput for both commercial and defense aerospace customers. — Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 29 June 2026

Elaine Ferguson, co-founder of W5 Technologies, is wrestling with how to deal with crippling RAM costs and lead times for the communications equipment her company makes for defense contractors. — Kif Leswing, CNBC, 27 June 2026

On-site, behind-the-meter generation lets operators scale without waiting on the grid or hitting consumers in the wallet, and rapid-deployment options like fuel cells can keep pace with development otherwise constrained by gas-turbine backlogs and long nuclear lead times. — Vimal Kapur, Fortune, 23 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for lead time

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime