millisecond

noun

mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmi-lə-ˌse-kənd 

-kənt

: one thousandth of a second

Did you know?

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

Starlink orbits the Earth at about 550 kilometers, and covers the entire globe, cutting the latency time (the data time between the user and satellite) down to around 25 milliseconds, according to its website. —Dallas Morning News, Boston Herald, 21 Feb. 2026

Alpha Flight 6 achieved stage separation after liftoff from Vandenberg, but the first stage ruptured milliseconds later. —Karoline Leonard, Austin American Statesman, 19 Feb. 2026

The system responded within milliseconds, fast enough to support real-time reactions such as pulling away from harmful contact or reducing applied force during interaction. —New Atlas, 8 Feb. 2026

The system works with the active all wheel drive system to monitor wheel slip in milliseconds, redistributing power to the wheels with the most grip instantly. —Tony Leopardo, Mercury News, 8 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1909, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for millisecond

• femtosecond
• microsecond
• nanosecond
• picosecond
• beckoned
• reckoned
• second
• seconde

Kids Definition

millisecond

noun

mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmil-ə-ˌsek-ənd 

also -ənt

: one thousandth of a second

Medical Definition

millisecond

noun

mil·​li·​sec·​ond ˈmil-ə-ˌsek-ənd, -ənt 

: one thousandth of a second

—abbreviation ms, msec