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

Now the pristine time capsule has popped up on the market for the first time at $25 million, with William Baker of The Agency Beverly Hills holding the esteemed listing. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2025

Carved over millions of years by the Colorado River, the canyon’s layers are like a time capsule of the planet’s history. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 22 Nov. 2025

The walls down one of the theatre's private hallways are a time capsule of Fox history. —Jobina Fortson-Evans, CBS News, 21 Nov. 2025

Officials at Northwest Technical Institute unearthed and opened a time capsule buried in 2000 as a part of the school's 50th anniversary celebration. —Caleb Grieger, Arkansas Online, 19 Nov. 2025

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