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

Nintendo owned the Mariners at the time, so this card is a unique time capsule on several different levels. —Tyler Holzhammer, New York Times, 7 July 2025

Both spacecraft carry a 12-inch golden phonograph record containing images and sounds of Earth curated by a team led by Carl Sagan, which was intended as a time capsule for any alien civilization that might someday intercept it. —Scott Snowden, Space.com, 18 June 2025

Cáceres’s Old Town is a time capsule of medieval Spain, with labyrinthine alleys, Renaissance mansions, and stunning plazas. —Carlsen Jes, Travel + Leisure, 1 June 2025

For Kyler and Madison, their channel is almost like a time capsule of the family's younger years. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 8 July 2025

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