time frame

noun

variants or less commonly timeframe

ˈtīm-ˌfrām 

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

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time frame or timeframe?

Should time frame be written as one word or two? At present, it is most commonly styled as two words with no hyphen in between.

Compounds, or “words consisting of components that are words,” come in three varieties: open (two words with a space between them, such as lima bean), hyphenated (two words with a hyphen between them, such as runner-up), and closed (one word, such as rowboat). In some cases, competing compound stylings appear in different publications. This is generally acceptable as long as the spelling remains consistent throughout a book or periodical.

Compounds have a tendency to move from open to closed as time goes by, and our evidence suggests that time frame is headed in this direction. At this point, however, the open compound is far more prevalent.

Examples of time frame in a Sentence

They were not able to finish the project within the established time frame.

Recent Examples on the Web

As of May 21, antisemitic crimes were up 55% compared with the same time frame last year, according to NYPD Chief of Detectives Joseph Kenny. —Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 19 June 2024

As of Sunday, the Chicago Police Department reported 227 murders, down from 268 in the same time frame last year. —Louis Casiano, Fox News, 19 June 2024

The vast majority of the 41% who answered the opposite, up from 22% across the same time frame, said there should be a coordinated effort to deport all undocumented immigrants currently living in the country. —Christian Datoc, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 18 June 2024

However, audit rates for these businesses fell from 3.8% to 0.1% in the same time frame. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 17 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above