time capsule

noun

1

: a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that is deposited (as in a cornerstone) for preservation until discovery by some future age

2

: something resembling a time capsule

Sunken vessels are archaeological time capsules.

—Philip Trupp

Examples of time capsule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

By capturing organisms in extraordinary detail, resources like Antscan create a permanent, high-resolution record of life’s architecture—an anatomical time capsule that can be queried and revisited long after fragile specimens degrade or wild populations vanish. —IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2026

That design ethos runs through every frame, making the show feel like a time capsule worth revisiting. —Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 Mar. 2026

Wilmington, Delaware, buried a time capsule to be opened in 2076. —Jill Lepore, New Yorker, 2 Mar. 2026

This walk-in time capsule is the brainchild of Amber and Howard Harper, who brought their fresh energy to the district in 2021. —Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

time capsule

noun

: a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that is placed (as in a cornerstone) for preservation until discovery by some future age