: the time between the beginning of a process or project and the appearance of its results
Examples of lead time in a Sentence
We will need at least six months lead time before production begins.
Recent Examples on the Web
By mid-2025, lead times for large power transformers had stretched beyond 30 months, with some units requiring up to four years for delivery—posing serious risks to grid reliability and expansion.
—
Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Working together, the plant teams agreed to accept shorter lead times for receiving prototypes in return for designs with fewer problems.
—Nelson P. Repenning, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
What is the lead time for customization, manufacturing, and delivery?
—Zoë Sessums, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025
Materials have lead times of up to 12 months, prompting the California High-Speed Rail Authority to launch procurement now to avoid delays.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lead time
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Robert Rapier, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025
Working together, the plant teams agreed to accept shorter lead times for receiving prototypes in return for designs with fewer problems.
—Nelson P. Repenning, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
What is the lead time for customization, manufacturing, and delivery?
—Zoë Sessums, Architectural Digest, 4 Sep. 2025
Materials have lead times of up to 12 months, prompting the California High-Speed Rail Authority to launch procurement now to avoid delays.
—Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for lead time
Cite this Entry
“Lead time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead%20time. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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