prime time

noun

1

: the time period when the television or radio audience is the largest

also : television shows shown in prime time

2

: the choicest or busiest time

3

: big time sense 2

a pitcher not yet ready for prime time

prime-time

ˈprīm-ˌtīm 

adjective

Examples of prime time in a Sentence

The program is being shown during prime time.

He's the best actor in prime time.

Recent Examples on the Web

Not ready for prime time The video-generation technology rarely gets the content right on its first try, Sun said, adding that her team takes at least 10 attempts to create a satisfactory 15-second clip. — Ling Wei, Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

This means hurricane season is not only upon us, but in its prime time. — Alora Bopray, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026

Above all, perhaps, Apple Intelligence finally seems ready for prime time. — Zev Fima, CNBC, 10 Sep. 2026

Why this farewell is so low-key Ordinarily, the weeks between greatest elongation and greatest brilliancy are prime time for Venus watchers. — Joe Rao, Space.com, 5 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for prime time

• aforetime
• allozyme
• anytime
• christmastime
• cybercrime
• dinnertime
• guggenheim
• isozyme
• lysozyme
• maritime
• mesenchyme
• overtime

Kids Definition

prime time

noun

: the time in the evening when television has its largest number of viewers