time capsule

noun

1

: a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that is deposited (as in a cornerstone) for preservation until discovery by some future age

2

: something resembling a time capsule

sunken vessels are archaeological time capsules

—Philip Trupp

Examples of time capsule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

And, Wednesday night, thanks to Valentino Beauty’s celebration of their fragrance collections—Born in Roma and the limited edition Rendez-Vous Ivory— we were sent through a one-night-only time capsule since the club’s final closing in 1986. —Essence, 12 Sep. 2025

Emergence, a steel sculpture that doubles as a time capsule for the city, was re-installed at the Green Street Grove after a brief vacation from the public eye. —Janice Phelan, Kansas City Star, 11 Sep. 2025

And while many might be reluctant to close the time capsule door on their beloved skinnies, some of us are sighing with relief that the current denim trend is comfy enough for travel. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2025

The experience for them, and me, is like being in a time capsule. —Brittany Spanos, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

time capsule

noun

: a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that is placed (as in a cornerstone) for preservation until discovery by some future age