lead time

noun

: the time between the beginning of a process or project and the appearance of its results

Examples of lead time in a Sentence

We will need at least six months lead time before production begins.
Recent Examples on the Web The January 2025 completion date for Oklahoma Road Middle School’s HVAC represents a long lead time for the generator and chiller replacements, for what was expected to be a longer project. Thomas Goodwin Smith, Baltimore Sun, 19 Mar. 2024 But physical expansions and enhancements have long lead times: Infrastructure often takes years to plan, build, and operationalize. Brian Tossan, Fortune, 9 May 2024 Between strained supply chains and the long lead times for a hugely complex and highly regulated product, a jetliner ordered from Airbus today may not arrive until the end of the decade. David McHugh, Fortune Europe, 6 May 2024 If implemented earlier, however, wastewater surveillance could have detected this event more rapidly than traditional surveillance, giving public health authorities and the public more lead time to prepare and mobilize. Denis Nash, John Dennehy, Monica Trujillo, STAT, 1 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for lead time 

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

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lead time was in 1944

Dictionary Entries Near lead time

Cite this Entry

“Lead time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead%20time. Accessed 6 Jun. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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