time capsule

noun

1

: a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that is deposited (as in a cornerstone) for preservation until discovery by some future age

2

: something resembling a time capsule

Sunken vessels are archaeological time capsules.

—Philip Trupp

Examples of time capsule in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Much of that record has been wiped from Earth’s surface due to erosion and other natural processes, but the moon remains a perfect time capsule. —Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 21 Feb. 2026

Presented with original banding fully intact, the case is in remarkable condition, as are the bottles within, resulting in a true time capsule of La Tâche. —Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 20 Feb. 2026

Using radiocarbon dating, experts estimate these geological time capsules date back to around 2,000 years ago. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 19 Feb. 2026

Created by puppeteer Tom Lee in collaboration with the modern classical music group Eighth Blackbird, the production tells the tale of the Golden Record, an interstellar time capsule launched in 1977 in Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. —Susana Hills, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1938, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

time capsule

noun

: a container holding historical records or objects representative of current culture that is placed (as in a cornerstone) for preservation until discovery by some future age