chronological

adjective

chro·​no·​log·​i·​cal ˌkrä-nə-ˈlä-ji-kəl 

ˌkrō-

variants or less commonly chronologic

ˌkrä-nə-ˈlä-jik 

ˌkrō-

: of, relating to, or arranged in or according to the order of time

chronological tables of American history

His art is arranged in chronological order.

also : reckoned in units of time

chronological age

chronologically

ˌkrä-nə-ˈlä-ji-k(ə-)lē 

ˌkrō-

adverb

Examples of chronological in a Sentence

His art is displayed in roughly chronological order.

a chronological account of their trip

Recent Examples on the Web

Today, roughly 65 percent of works on display in its four chronological sections are from the museum’s trove. — News Desk, Artforum, 7 Oct. 2026

The movie is notably faithful, at times dutifully chronological and nearly always horror-movie bracing on the subject of the rise of capitalist AI. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026

Long-lived healthy adults tend to have microbiomes that are richer in bacterial diversity than those of their chronological peers, with the former having gut bacteria that look more like those of younger, healthier adults. — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 5 Oct. 2026

Rebecca Campbell, a psychology professor at Michigan State University, said this is all done while understanding that their accounts may not initially be clear, complete or chronological. — Jaclyn Diaz, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

chronological from chronologic + -al entry 1 or from chronology + -ical; chronologic from chronology + -ic entry 1, probably after French chronologique or New Latin chronologicus

First Known Use

1614, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing chronological

• chronological age

Rhymes for chronological

• astrological
• biological
• christological
• cosmological
• cytological
• dialogical
• ecological
• ethnological
• ethological
• geological
• histological
• hydrological

Kids Definition

chronological

adjective

chro·​no·​log·​i·​cal ˌkrän-ə-ˈläj-i-kəl 

ˌkrō-nə-

: arranged in or according to the order of time

chronological order

a chronological table

chronologically

-i-k(ə-)lē

adverb