: 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
This lead time is the difference between having the leverage to negotiate a professional debt workout and being forced into an emergency high-cost loan that compromises your company’s long-term health.
—
Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Lululemon pointed to O'Neill's many years of experience leading Nike's apparel business through a period of rapid growth and her time spent reducing product lead times and resetting the brand prior to her departure.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 18 May 2026
The couch shipped very quickly within a week of placing the order, and was delivered to my home about a week after, for a total of about two weeks lead time.
—Meg Kernahan, Architectural Digest, 15 May 2026
Occasionally the team get a longer lead time.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for lead time
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.
Nathan Mor, Forbes.com, 20 May 2026
Lululemon pointed to O'Neill's many years of experience leading Nike's apparel business through a period of rapid growth and her time spent reducing product lead times and resetting the brand prior to her departure.
—Gabrielle Fonrouge, CNBC, 18 May 2026
The couch shipped very quickly within a week of placing the order, and was delivered to my home about a week after, for a total of about two weeks lead time.
—Meg Kernahan, Architectural Digest, 15 May 2026
Occasionally the team get a longer lead time.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 15 May 2026
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 24 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
