timeline

noun

time·​line ˈtīm-ˌlīn 

variants or time line

plural timelines or time lines

1

a

: an arrangement or occurrence (as of past events) in time : chronology

After interviewing the suspect, the wardens pieced together a timeline of events and gathered enough evidence to file appropriate charges …

—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

b

: a visual representation of events associated with a particular period of time arranged chronologically along a line or in a linear format

The book also includes a timeline, showing which dinosaurs lived when and where, and how the Earth has changed over millions of years.

—The Children's Bookwatch

In her "Foundations of Western Civilization" course … Prof. Julia Gossard has her students create a timeline of the history of food …

—Thomas Keith

c

: a schedule of planned events, actions, etc. : timetable sense 2

With just under a year left until your nuptials, here's what's next on your wedding planning timeline.

—Sarah Hanlon

Giving the client a say in every step of the project could create a delay and throw off the timeline …

—Katie Bates

2

: a period of time especially with respect to some project or event : time frame

And what's the timeline for implementing these changes?

—Mark Sovel

The stakes are high, and the timeline is tight.

—Rio Longacre

… school districts can't open before Labor Day and must end by June 15. But to meet that compressed timeline … , districts have had to consider trade-offs.

—Donna St. George

3

: a stream of social media posts : feed sense 3e

Algorithmic timelines quietly replaced chronological ones, until our social-media feeds no longer took direction from us, but rather directed us where they wanted us to go.

—Yair Rosenberg

And if there's something funny … I make sure to Retweet so others can cleanse their timeline and enjoy.

—Andy Richardson

4

: a branch of a theoretical multiverse that exists in parallel with other branches

… the notion that we're surrounded by a multitude of parallel selves, one of which might be living in a better timeline than the one we're stuck in.

—S. I. Rosenbaum

—used especially in science fiction

… Dune: Awakening is set in an "alternate" timeline from the original Frank Herbert novels, where something has happened to change the course of history.

—Wes Fenlon

Examples of timeline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Tariff timeline: Tracking the evolution of Donald Trump's trade war 'Economic nuclear winter': Trump allies worried over tariffs Trump says the ultimate fruits of tariffs will be worth the pain. —Jamie L. Lareau, USA Today, 9 Apr. 2025

Here's a timeline of the tensions between the two countries over Iran's atomic program. —Associated Press, Time, 9 Apr. 2025

In one article, pediatric infectious disease expert Kathryn Edwards of Vanderbilt University recounted the timeline of the measles outbreak, noting the missteps, missed opportunities, and controversial comments Kennedy made along the way. —Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 9 Apr. 2025

Use Project Pro to maintain project timelines, manage budgets, and allocate resources efficiently. —New Atlas, 8 Apr. 2025

The team has not yet provided a timeline for his return. —Ryan Canfield, FOXNews.com, 8 Apr. 2025

His concerns echoed those of other opponents of S.B. 1536, who have warned of the complexity of redesigning ballots and establishing new processes, timelines and reporting for elections. —James Watson, Hartford Courant, 8 Apr. 2025

Although initially slated for implementation by 2028, increasing pressure from policymakers and industry stakeholders may accelerate the timeline, underscoring the growing urgency to close remaining loopholes in the taxation of cross-border e-commerce. —Aleksandra Bal, Forbes.com, 7 Apr. 2025

Lewis is three weeks into his recovery for a moderate left hamstring strain, which typically carries a return timeline of at least six weeks. —Aaron Gleeman, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1