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 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
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.
December through April is Guanacaste’s dry season before the rains begin in mid-May, making spring break prime time for perfect beach weather (80s and sunny). Annie Daly, Vogue, 10 Mar. 2026 In any of these towns, evening is prime time. Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2026 Founded in 2003, the Tennis Channel averaged 63,000 viewers in prime time last year. Lucas Shaw, Bloomberg, 9 Mar. 2026 Spring and fall offer bearable temps—prime time for gravel biking, off-roading, land sailing, hot-spring soaking, or astrophotography on the playa’s flat, hard surface. Ted Alvarez, Outside, 9 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prime time

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prime time was in 1947

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Cite this Entry

“Prime time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prime%20time. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.

Kids Definition

prime time

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

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