time

1 of 3

noun

ˈtīm 

plural times

1

a

: the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues : duration

b

: a nonspatial continuum that is measured in terms of events which succeed one another from past through present to future

c

: leisure

time for reading

2

: the point or period when something occurs : occasion

3

a

: an appointed, fixed, or customary moment or hour for something to happen, begin, or end

arrived ahead of time

b

: an opportune or suitable moment

decided it was time to retire

—often used in the phrase about time

about time for a change

4

a

: a historical period : age

b

: a division of geologic chronology

c

: conditions at present or at some specified period

—usually used in plural

times are hard

move with the times

d

: the present time

issues of the time

5

a

: lifetime

b

: a period of apprenticeship

c

: a term of military service

d

: a prison sentence

6

: season

very hot for this time of year

7

a

: rate of speed : tempo

b

: the grouping of the beats of music : rhythm

8

a

: a moment, hour, day, or year as indicated by a clock or calendar

what time is it

b

: any of various systems (such as a sidereal or solar system) of reckoning time

9

a

: one of a series of recurring instances or repeated actions

you've been told many times

b times plural

(1)

: added or accumulated quantities or instances

five times greater

(2)

: equal fractional parts of which an indicated number equal a comparatively greater quantity

seven times smaller

three times closer

c

: turn

three times at bat

10

: finite as contrasted with infinite duration

11

: a person's experience during a specified period or on a particular occasion

a good time

a hard time

12

a

: the hours or days required to be occupied by one's work

make up time

on company time

b

: an hourly pay rate

straight time

c

: wages paid at discharge or resignation

pick up your time and get out

13

a

: the playing time of a game

b

: time-out sense 1

14

: a period during which something is used or available for use

computer time

see also a race against time, take one's time

time

2 of 3

verb

timed; timing

transitive verb

1

a

: to arrange or set the time of : schedule

b

: to regulate (a watch) to keep correct time

2

: to set the tempo, speed, or duration of

timed his leap perfectly

—Neil Amdur

3

: to cause to keep time with something

4

: to determine or record the time, duration, or rate of

time a horse

5

: to dispose (something, such as a mechanical part) so that an action occurs at a desired instant or in a desired way

intransitive verb

: to keep or beat time

time

3 of 3

adjective

1

a

: of or relating to time

b

: recording time

2

: timed to ignite or explode at a specific moment

a time charge

3

a

: payable on a specified future day or a certain length of time after presentation for acceptance

a time draft

time deposits

b

: based on installment payments

a time sale

Phrases

at the same time

: nevertheless, yet

slick and at the same time strangely unprofessional

—Gerald Weaks

at times

: at intervals : occasionally

for the time being

: for the present

from time to time

: once in a while : occasionally

in no time

: very quickly or soon

in time

1

: sufficiently early

2

: eventually

3

: in correct tempo

learn to play in time

on time

1

a

: at the appointed time

b

: on schedule

2

: on the installment plan

time and again

: frequently, repeatedly

Synonyms

Noun

• moment
• occasion

Examples of time in a Sentence

Noun

The two events were separated by time and space.

The poem is a reflection on the passage of time.

What was happening at that particular moment in time?

It has been that way since the beginning of time.

If only I could travel back in time and do things differently.

They were given a relatively short amount of time to finish the job.

The situation has been getting more complicated as time goes by.

happening for an extended period of time

Would you prefer the meeting to be at an earlier time?

Feel free to call me at any time, day or night.

Verb

They timed their vacation to coincide with the jazz festival.

He timed it so that he made the shot just before the clock ran out.

She timed the shot perfectly.

The runners are timed with special watches.

He timed the students as they completed their tests.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Everlane’s Cyber Week sale won’t last long, so now’s the time to act fast to save big — and consume smarter during the biggest shopping weekend of the year. —Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 1 Dec. 2024

Outside of turnover margin, Alabama won almost every major statistical category on Saturday: total yards, third-down conversions, time of possession, red zone offense and more. —Kennington Smith Iii, The Athletic, 1 Dec. 2024

Verb

Intel has timed the launch well, offering potential pre-Christmas new GPU sales, although actual availability is unknown and could well slip till after Christmas. —Antony Leather, Forbes, 29 Nov. 2024

Amazon's 2024 Black Friday Week sale has some of the best holiday deals and discounts, including exclusive lightning deals that are timed offers and expire when time or inventory runs out. —Kasey Caminiti, USA TODAY, 29 Nov. 2024

Adjective

We’re used to seeing the Doctor traveling through space and time, neither of which is possible for non-Time Lords at the moment. —Clark Collis, EW.com, 24 June 2020

Cons: The Jazz feature two multi-time All-Stars — Gobert and guard Donovan Mitchell — and a roster that has more playoff experience than the Mavericks’ core. —Dallas News, 5 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English tīma; akin to Old Norse tīmi time, Old English tīd — more at tide entry 3

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 5

Adjective

1708, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Phrases Containing time

• access time
• a deuce of a time
• a devil of a time
• a good/great/lovely time
• ahead of one's/its time
• ahead of one's time
• ahead of time
• Alaska time
• a legend in one's own time
• (all) in good time
• all (of) the time
• all the time
• all the time in the world
• all-time
• a long time ago
• a long time coming
• a matter of time
• (and) not before time (too)
• apparent time
• a race against time
• as good a time as any
• a stitch in time (saves nine)
• at a time
• Atlantic time
• at no time
• at one time
• at one time or another
• at some time or other
• at the present time
• at the time of (something)
• a whale of a time
• bad time
• before one's time
• be living on borrowed time
• better luck next time
• big time
• borrowed time
• break time
• buried by the sands of time
• buy time
• by the time
• call (a) time-out
• call time
• central time
• closing time
• common time
• corrected time
• crunch time
• curtain time
• cut time
• daylight saving time
• day/moment/time in the sun
• departure/arrival time
• die before one's time
• do one's time
• do time
• double time
• drive time
• eastern time
• elapsed time
• end-time
• ephemeris time
• equation of time
• every time
• face time
• first-time
• for any length of time
• for (quite) some time
• free/spare time
• from the time
• full time
• gain time
• garbage time
• geologic time
• give of one's time
• give (someone) a hard time
• give (someone) the time of day
• good time
• go through a rough time
• half the time
• half-time
• hang time
• hard time
• have a devilish time
• have a hard time
• have all the time in the world
• have a rough time (of it)
• have a thin time (of it)
• have (got) the time
• have (the) time
• have the time of one's life
• Hawaii-Aleutian time
• hitting the big time
• in company time
• in due time
• in its own time
• in jig time
• injury time
• in less than no time
• in one's own (good) time
• in one's (own) sweet time
• in one's own time
• in one's time
• in record time
• in the course of time
• in the fullness of time
• in the nick of time
• in time to
• it's about time
• it's high time
• just-in-time
• keep time
• kill (the) time
• last time
• lead time
• live on borrowed time
• local time
• long time no see
• lose no time
• lose track of the time
• lost in the mists of time
• make good time
• make time
• make time for (someone)
• make up for lost time
• Many's the time
• mark time
• mean time
• military time
• most of the time
• mountain time
• ninety/ninety-nine percent of the time
• not give (someone) the time of day
• no time to lose
• of all time
• old before one's time
• old-time
• once upon a time
• on company time
• one at a time
• one more time
• (only) time will tell
• on one's own time
• our time
• Pacific time
• part-time
• pass the time
• pass the time of day
• payback time
• play for time
• playing time
• post time
• pressed for time
• press time
• prime time
• prison time
• quality time
• question time
• quick time
• quite some time
• real time
• regulation time
• released time
• residence time
• running time
• run out of time
• Samoa time
• screen time
• serve time
• short space of time
• short time
• sick time
• sidereal time
• since that time
• since time immemorial
• small-time
• some time ago
• space-time
• spare time
• standard time
• stand the test of time
• starting time
• summer time
• take (a lot of) time
• take it/things one day at a time
• take no time at all
• take one day at a time
• take one's (own) sweet time
• take one's time
• take the time
• take time
• take time out
• tee time
• tell the time
• tell time
• term time
• the big time
• the ravages of time
• there's no time like the present
• the sands of time
• the third time is the charm
• the time has come
• the time is up
• the whole time
• third time lucky
• time after time
• time and a half
• time bomb
• time capsule
• time card
• time chart
• time clock
• time-consuming
• time dilation
• time expires
• time exposure
• time flies
• time for bed
• time frame
• time heals all wounds
• time-honored
• time immemorial
• time is at a premium
• time is a/the great healer
• time is money
• time is not on someone's side
• time is on one's side
• time killer
• time-lag
• time-lapse
• time limit
• time line
• time lock
• time machine
• time marches on
• time-of-flight
• time of year
• time on one's hands
• time-out
• time out of mind
• time-release
• time reversal
• time-saving
• time series
• time-share
• time-sharing
• time sheet
• time signature
• time span
• time stamp
• time suck
• time's up
• time switch
• time-tested
• time trial
• time warp
• time-warped
• time was (when)
• time zone
• to/till/until the end of time
• two-time
• unearthly hour/time
• Universal time
• until such time as
• waste no time
• waste of time
• what time do you have
• what time do you make it
• whose time has come
• with time

Kids Definition

time

1 of 2 noun

ˈtīm 

1

a

: the period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues : duration

was gone a long time

it rained all the time during our vacation

b

: part of the day when one is free to do as one pleases

find time for reading

2

: a point or period when something occurs : occasion

remember the time you entered the pie-eating contest

3

: a set or usual moment or hour for something to happen, begin, or end

arrived ahead of time

4

a

: a historical period : age

in your grandparents' time

b

: conditions of a specified period

times are hard

move with the times

5

: a prison sentence

doing time for robbery

6

: the rhythmic grouping of beats in music shown in the time signature

7

a

: a moment, hour, day, or year as indicated by a clock or calendar

what time is it

b

: a system of determining time

8

a

: one of a series of repeated instances or actions

told you many times

b

plural : added or accumulated quantities or examples

five times greater

c

plural : equal parts of which an indicated number make up a greater quantity

five times smaller

d

: turn entry 2 sense 5b

three times at bat

9

: a person's experience during a certain period

had the time of their lives

had quite a time staying in the saddle

10

: time-out

called time

time

2 of 2 verb

timed; timing

1

: to arrange or set the time or rate at which something happens

2

: to measure or record the time, duration, or rate of

timed the race

Medical Definition

time

noun

ˈtīm 

1

a

: the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues see bleeding time, coagulation time, prothrombin time, reaction time

b

: a continuum which lacks spatial dimensions and in which events succeed one another from past through present to future

2

: the point or period when something occurs

3

: a moment, hour, day, or year as indicated by a clock or calendar

what time is it