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

Films from the Golden Era are time capsules of our nation’s history — certainly WWII and post-WWII films, but also films that share social commentary. — Frank Racioppi, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026

Yet travel books—and books about sports, for that matter—are inevitably time capsules and Foer’s feels like one somewhat out of step with his own time, let alone ours. — Literary Hub, 23 July 2026

Pompeii is often thought of as an undisturbed time capsule, a once-bustling port that fell silent after Mount Vesuvius erupted and blanketed the ancient Roman city with a thick layer of ash in AD 79. — Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 20 July 2026

In the time capsules, kids wrote about missing their friends and grandparents. — Stacey Gillett, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 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