screen time

noun

1
: the amount of time someone or something appears on screen in a movie or television show
… the widespread practice of product placement (in which companies buy screen time for their brands) …Celia Wren
Peck's role is only a cameo—23 minutes of screen time scattered through six and a half hours of edited film …John Skow
2
: time spent watching television, playing a video game, or using an electronic device with a screen (such as a smartphone or tablet)
Concerns about children spending too much time on digital devices—'screen time'—and becoming overdependent on these devices are very real for many teachers and parents.Nicky Hockly
If yours is like most American families with kids under age 5, your child probably watches between three and four hours of television a day. That's a lot of screen timeDebra Kent

Examples of screen time 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.
After a months-long wait to see the Grammy winner, 39, take on the role of Rosaline Rotwood in the Netflix hit, viewers expressed disappointment in her lack of screen time. Liza Esquibias, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2025 The cast could benefit from more screen time and the writers could probably use more episodes to fully wiggle their way out of the initial premise. Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2025 The ensemble cast is well appointed with Ferguson, Elba, Harris and especially a terrific Letts commanding their screen time. Pete Hammond, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2025 The district is trying to scale back student’s screen time, and PragerU is technology-dependent, Palmer said by phone. Idaho Statesman, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for screen time

Word History

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of screen time was in 1921

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Cite this Entry

“Screen time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/screen%20time. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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