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

• history
• commentary
• story
• record
• account
• report
• narrative
• chronicle
• version
• narration

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

The Lucas Museum pushes that approach further by making storytelling — not chronology, geography or medium — the organizing principle for an entire institution, placing illustration, comics and commercial art inside a curatorial framework. — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2026

One of the best actors working today, Coon essentially plays two different sides of Rita with astonishing range across these chronologies, portraying the past and the present of her character through distinctive markers. — Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

The beloved star also acknowledged the challenges of fitting eight decades of life into a stage musical, explaining that the creative team sometimes had to adjust the chronology while remaining true to her story. — Hedy Phillips, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026

Over in Marvel’s territory, the X-Men had their whole chronology readjusted when a time-traveling mutant killed off Professor Charles Xavier, allowing Apocalypse to run rampant. — Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 24 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin chronologia, from chrono- chrono- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for chronology

• anthology
• apology
• astrology
• biology
• christology
• conchology
• cosmology
• cryptology
• cytology
• doxology
• ecology
• ethnology

Kids 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

-jəst

noun