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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
Artificial intelligence can identify faces in photographs, translate conversations in real time and detect fraudulent transactions in milliseconds.
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Mark Lewyn, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Research from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University notes that human perception of smooth motion requires operation well below the 100-millisecond threshold.
—Lee-Lean Shu, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
In laboratory tests involving eight volunteers, the wristband reproduced hand gestures with high accuracy and low latency, mirroring movements within 120 milliseconds.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
In laboratory demonstrations with eight volunteers, developers showed the wristband could precisely mirror hand gestures – including all 26 letters in American Sign Language – within 120 milliseconds.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for millisecond
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Mark Lewyn, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2026
Research from the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University notes that human perception of smooth motion requires operation well below the 100-millisecond threshold.
—Lee-Lean Shu, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
In laboratory tests involving eight volunteers, the wristband reproduced hand gestures with high accuracy and low latency, mirroring movements within 120 milliseconds.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 10 June 2026
In laboratory demonstrations with eight volunteers, developers showed the wristband could precisely mirror hand gestures – including all 26 letters in American Sign Language – within 120 milliseconds.
—ABC News, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for millisecond
Cite this Entry
“Millisecond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millisecond. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids 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
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