chronology
noun
chro·nol·o·gy
krə-ˈnä-lə-jē 
plural chronologies
1
: the science that deals with measuring time by regular divisions and that assigns to events their proper dates
2
: a chronological table, list, or account
a chronology of the author's works
3
: an arrangement (as of events) in order of occurrence
reconstruct the chronology of the trip
The book provides a chronology of events leading up to the American Civil War.
Did you know?
History is much more than a simple chronology of events, but keeping events in chronological order is the first essential step in thinking about it. When, for example, historians try to show how World War I prepared the way for World War II, tracking the chronology of the events in the years between the two wars can help in explaining a complicated historical era.
Synonyms of chronology
Examples of chronology in a Sentence
We tried to reconstruct the chronology of the accident.
The book provides a chronology of the events leading up to the American Civil War.
Recent Examples on the Web
These sentences, written by Averbuch’s translators Oksana Maksymchuk and Max Rosochinsky, appear on the first page of Averbuch’s facing-page bilingual collection Furious Harvests—the only page in the book where chronology can be told quite so simply.
—
Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The film’s chronology and historicity function much the same way.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Presented in somewhat nonlinear chronology, much of the play consists of two-hander scenes between Adam and individual characters, including his new love interest, the confident and flirtatious Alycia (Emma Fulmer).
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Initially intriguing, the jumbled chronology eventually proves to be largely decorative until a disappointing late-reel twist explains why the labored device was deployed in the first place.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chronology
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Literary Hub, 1 Apr. 2026
The film’s chronology and historicity function much the same way.
—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Presented in somewhat nonlinear chronology, much of the play consists of two-hander scenes between Adam and individual characters, including his new love interest, the confident and flirtatious Alycia (Emma Fulmer).
—Emily McClanathan, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Initially intriguing, the jumbled chronology eventually proves to be largely decorative until a disappointing late-reel twist explains why the labored device was deployed in the first place.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for chronology
Cite this Entry
“Chronology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chronology. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
chronology
noun
chro·nol·o·gy
krə-ˈnäl-ə-jē
plural chronologies
1
: the science that deals with measuring time and dating events
2
: a chronological table or list
chronologist
noun
-jəst
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