leap second
noun
: an intercalary second added to Coordinated Universal Time to compensate for the slowing of the earth's rotation and keep Coordinated Universal Time in synchrony with solar time
Examples of leap second in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The last leap second was positive and used at the end of December 2016.
—
Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Moreover, removing the leap second would actually make computerized timekeeping much harder, not easier, so there is simply no reason to do it.
—Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
Like my wife, the world’s timekeepers have been forced to adjust their clocks, adding thirty-seven leap seconds since 1972.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2024
Few computer programs are written to allow for a negative leap second.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for leap second
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Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 20 June 2025
Moreover, removing the leap second would actually make computerized timekeeping much harder, not easier, so there is simply no reason to do it.
—Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 18 Feb. 2025
Like my wife, the world’s timekeepers have been forced to adjust their clocks, adding thirty-seven leap seconds since 1972.
—Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2024
Few computer programs are written to allow for a negative leap second.
—Mark Fischetti, Scientific American, 15 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for leap second
Cite this Entry
“Leap second.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leap%20second. Accessed 13 Jul. 2025.
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