time frame

noun

variants or less commonly timeframe
: a period of time especially with respect to some action or project

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time frame or timeframe?

Should time frame be written as one word or two? At present, it is most commonly styled as two words with no hyphen in between.

Compounds, or “words consisting of components that are words,” come in three varieties: open (two words with a space between them, such as lima bean), hyphenated (two words with a hyphen between them, such as runner-up), and closed (one word, such as rowboat). In some cases, competing compound stylings appear in different publications. This is generally acceptable as long as the spelling remains consistent throughout a book or periodical.

Compounds have a tendency to move from open to closed as time goes by, and our evidence suggests that time frame is headed in this direction. At this point, however, the open compound is far more prevalent.

Examples of time frame in a Sentence

They were not able to finish the project within the established time frame.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For this story, our editors and contributors tested their organic pillows in their own homes for at least a month (our minimum testing time frame). Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 28 Oct. 2025 Well, fans who bought the streamer to keep up with the Sheridan Universe can rest easy; the showrunner's projects will remain on Paramount+, and will likely continue to air on the streamer for years to come given the long time frame before Sheridan joins NBCU for TV projects. Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025 Swift was dismissed from the case after Marasco failed to serve the lawsuit within the time frame provided by the court. Jenna Sundel, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025 Partly because of Pure Water expenses, the San Diego City Council is scheduled Tuesday to approve raising water rates more than 60% over four years and sewer rates more than 30% during that time frame. David Garrick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for time frame

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of time frame was in 1893

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Cite this Entry

“Time frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20frame. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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