millisecond

noun

mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmi-lə-ˌse-kənd 

-kənt

: one thousandth of a second

Did you know?

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

All of that happens in milliseconds. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Mar. 2026

In theory, yes, because the radiation emitted in the last few milliseconds would be in the form of extremely high-energy gamma rays. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 27 Mar. 2026

Blueprint for future design Further, the testing showcased that ignition at 200 meters deep triggers a violent, millisecond-long battle between hot gas and cold water. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 25 Mar. 2026

Those few milliseconds turned out to be the break USC hadn’t gotten all season. —Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 23 Mar. 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for millisecond

• femtosecond
• microsecond
• nanosecond
• picosecond
• beckoned
• reckoned
• second
• seconde

Kids Definition

millisecond

noun

mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmil-ə-ˌsek-ənd 

also -ənt

: one thousandth of a second

Medical Definition

millisecond

noun

mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmil-ə-ˌsek-ənd, -ənt 

: one thousandth of a second

—abbreviation ms, msec