millisecond

noun

mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmi-lə-ˌse-kənd How to pronounce millisecond (audio)
-kənt
: one thousandth of a second

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A millisecond isn't long enough for the blink of an eye, but a few milliseconds may determine the winner of a swim race or a hundred-yard dash. With the ever-increasing speed of modern technology, even a millisecond has started to seem a little sluggish; computer operations are now measured in nanoseconds—that is, billionths of a second.

Examples of millisecond in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
For example, on the latency front, Ookla’s data found that SpaceX has been successfully driving down the rate to 45 milliseconds, an improvement from 70ms in Q1 2023, which is also drastically better than rival satellite internet service Hughesnet. Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 12 June 2025 Jitter should typically be two milliseconds (ms) or less. David Brinkerhoff, USA Today, 11 June 2025 In isolated test devices, IBM has managed to push average coherence times to 2 milliseconds but translating that to larger chips is not straightforward. IEEE Spectrum, 10 June 2025 Using isolated test devices, IBM has determined that coherence is running between one to two milliseconds, and up to four milliseconds in some cases. Paul Smith-Goodson, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for millisecond

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of millisecond was in 1909

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Cite this Entry

“Millisecond.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/millisecond. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

millisecond

noun
mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmil-ə-ˌsek-ənd How to pronounce millisecond (audio)
 also  -ənt
: one thousandth of a second

Medical Definition

millisecond

noun
mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmil-ə-ˌsek-ənd, -ənt How to pronounce millisecond (audio)
: one thousandth of a second
abbreviation ms, msec
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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