timeline

noun

time·​line ˈtīm-ˌlīn 

variants or time line

plural timelines or time lines

1

a

: an arrangement or occurrence (as of past events) in time : chronology

After interviewing the suspect, the wardens pieced together a timeline of events and gathered enough evidence to file appropriate charges …

—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

b

: a visual representation of events associated with a particular period of time arranged chronologically along a line or in a linear format

The book also includes a timeline, showing which dinosaurs lived when and where, and how the Earth has changed over millions of years.

—The Children's Bookwatch

In her "Foundations of Western Civilization" course … Prof. Julia Gossard has her students create a timeline of the history of food …

—Thomas Keith

c

: a schedule of planned events, actions, etc. : timetable sense 2

With just under a year left until your nuptials, here's what's next on your wedding planning timeline.

—Sarah Hanlon

Giving the client a say in every step of the project could create a delay and throw off the timeline …

—Katie Bates

2

: a period of time especially with respect to some project or event : time frame

And what's the timeline for implementing these changes?

—Mark Sovel

The stakes are high, and the timeline is tight.

—Rio Longacre

… school districts can't open before Labor Day and must end by June 15. But to meet that compressed timeline … , districts have had to consider trade-offs.

—Donna St. George

3

: a stream of social media posts : feed sense 3e

Algorithmic timelines quietly replaced chronological ones, until our social-media feeds no longer took direction from us, but rather directed us where they wanted us to go.

—Yair Rosenberg

And if there's something funny … I make sure to Retweet so others can cleanse their timeline and enjoy.

—Andy Richardson

4

: a branch of a theoretical multiverse that exists in parallel with other branches

… the notion that we're surrounded by a multitude of parallel selves, one of which might be living in a better timeline than the one we're stuck in.

—S. I. Rosenbaum

—used especially in science fiction

… Dune: Awakening is set in an "alternate" timeline from the original Frank Herbert novels, where something has happened to change the course of history.

—Wes Fenlon

Examples of timeline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The paper addresses operational procedures, describing mechanical and electrical triggers, containment strategies for managing gases, and a full process timeline of roughly 335 minutes from initiation to material extraction. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Oct. 2025

An international force, largely of troops from Arab and Muslim countries, would be responsible for security inside Gaza, though the timeline is unclear. —Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025

Prospective students are still waiting for an official timeline. —Dana Taylor, USA Today, 12 Oct. 2025

For those interested in skiing, however, aim to arrive right in the middle of that timeline. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2025

In fact, the Cowboys just received some massive news regarding the timeline for the star linebacker. —James Brizuela, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Oct. 2025

Below is a detailed timeline of the events, drawn from the federal complaint. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2025

The timeline for the return of the 28 dead hostages is more murky, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu implying in a Friday address that all may not be returned. —Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 10 Oct. 2025

Deputy kneels on Adair’s back The KBI provided a timeline of events leading up to Adair’s death in the affidavit. —Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 10 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1