time lag

noun

: an interval of time between two related phenomena (such as a cause and its effect)

Examples of time lag in a Sentence

There's a time lag between when you see a stop sign and when your foot steps on the brake.
Recent Examples on the Web Because there was an unpredictable time lag whenever one machine communicated with another, simply timestamping bits of code that went between computers was not good enough to keep things in order. Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2024 That could reflect a time lag between companies’ statements and the data captured in the Labor Department’s reports. Sarah Chaney Cambon, WSJ, 10 Nov. 2022 And the housing measures enter the CPI with a time lag, further complicating our analysis of inflation. Richard McGahey, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Such a time lag was found in early Keynesian structural models of the economy, later non-theoretical analyses (vector auto-regressions) and most of the latest econometric models (dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models). Bill Conerly, Forbes, 26 Jan. 2023 Paint, stickers, and toys that glow in the dark after a period of exposure to light exploit this time lag. Tracy H. Schloemer, IEEE Spectrum, 19 Sep. 2023 The smaller engine's 7.2-second 60-mph time lags 0.5 behind the number for the all-wheel-drive V-6, and the same was true with a rolling start in our 5-to-60-mph test. Joe Lorio, Car and Driver, 24 Mar. 2023 Explaining the 12-hour time lag between the explosions and the Kremlin’s announcement, Mr. Peskov, the Kremlin spokesman, said there was a need by Russia’s spy services to conduct an investigation first. Michael Schwirtz, New York Times, 4 May 2023 Because of that time lag, consultant Oliver Wyman predicts a shortage of 18,000 mechanics in the coming years. Stephen Stock, Jose Sanchez, Dilcia Mercedes, CBS News, 25 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'time lag.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of time lag was in 1892

Dictionary Entries Near time lag

Cite this Entry

“Time lag.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20lag. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

time lag

noun
: the period of time between two related happenings (as a cause and its effect)

More from Merriam-Webster on time lag

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!