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

Ultimately, this debate served as a time capsule of the 1980s musical scene. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 20 Aug. 2026

So nature has already shown us a potential pathway to building a time capsule that will outlast geological changes. — Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 18 Aug. 2026

Kopple’s documentary is a time capsule, offering a concentrated taste of an earlier moment in American culture, now resolutely over. — Naomi Fry, New Yorker, 15 Aug. 2026

Two years ago, Living Record started a network to help teachers across the country implement the time capsule program in their own classrooms. — Tess Kenny, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 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