millisecond

noun

mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmi-lə-ˌse-kənd How to pronounce millisecond (audio)
-kənt
: one thousandth of a second

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A millisecond isn't long enough for the blink of an eye, but a few milliseconds may determine the winner of a swim race or a hundred-yard dash. With the ever-increasing speed of modern technology, even a millisecond has started to seem a little sluggish; computer operations are now measured in nanoseconds—that is, billionths of a second.

Examples of millisecond in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The good news is that these quantum states are relatively long-lived, for quantum events, lasting whole milliseconds: a long time at the quantum scale. John Koetsier, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025 Somehow, his body went crashing down onto the tracks and into a 10-inch trench just seconds, or even milliseconds, before the train went over him. Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2025 Players can also look forward to an input latency of just 6 milliseconds at the 240 Hz setting, which should be more than enough to meet the demands of quickfire sharpshooters. Paul Ridden, New Atlas, 31 Jan. 2025 In the 20th century, each day on Earth got longer by between 0.3 and 1.0 millisecond. The Atlantic Science Desk, The Atlantic, 28 Dec. 2024 See All Example Sentences for millisecond

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of millisecond was in 1909

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Cite this Entry

“Millisecond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millisecond. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

millisecond

noun
mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmil-ə-ˌsek-ənd How to pronounce millisecond (audio)
 also  -ənt
: one thousandth of a second

Medical Definition

millisecond

noun
mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmil-ə-ˌsek-ənd, -ənt How to pronounce millisecond (audio)
: one thousandth of a second
abbreviation ms, msec
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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