timescale

noun

time·​scale ˈtīm-ˌskāl How to pronounce timescale (audio)
: an arrangement of events used as a measure of the relative or absolute duration or antiquity of a period of history or geologic or cosmic time

Examples of timescale in a Sentence

When considered on the 4.6 billion year timescale of the Earth, our lives can seem insignificant. What is the timescale for completion of the work?
Recent Examples on the Web Human timescales feel very different than geologic. Erik Klemetti, Discover Magazine, 7 Mar. 2024 That’s a challenge on longer timescales as seas gradually rise, but also ephemerally when hurricanes push storm surges of water onto land. Matt Simon, WIRED, 6 Mar. 2024 For a long time, climate change was nearly impossible to see, but rather had to be described and estimated for continents or the whole globe on seasonal, annual or centennial timescales. The Arizona Republic, 6 Mar. 2024 And this newfound ocean, against all expectations, appears to be a proverbial newborn on the timescale of the solar system. Robin George Andrews, Scientific American, 7 Feb. 2024 Meteorologists at the National Weather Service’s Climate Prediction Center produce forecasts for temperatures and precipitation across the US on timescales ranging from 1 to 2 weeks to more than a full year in the future. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 2 Feb. 2024 Research conducted over the past couple of decades has shown that evolution can occur on timescales similar to those of climate change. Brian Owens, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Jan. 2024 A lot of change is undramatic growth, transformation, or decay, or rather its timescale means the drama might not be perceptible to the impatient. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 24 Jan. 2024 Further Reading Epic looks outside of gaming for new uses of Unreal Engine Tools to generate usable motion-capture animation data in a short timescale aren't entirely new—Epic showed off something similar in 2016, using a real-time performance of an early Hellblade cut scene. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 23 Mar. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'timescale.' 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

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of timescale was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near timescale

Cite this Entry

“Timescale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/timescale. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

timescale

noun
time·​scale ˈtīm-ˌskāl How to pronounce timescale (audio)
: an arrangement of events used as a measure of the duration or age of a period of history or geologic or cosmic time
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!