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

To archaeologists, Issyk-Kul is not just a lake but a time capsule, where each artifact, whether a millstone or a skeleton, reveals echoes of trade, faith, and endurance along the Silk Road. —Pranjal Malewar, New Atlas, 6 Dec. 2025

As another year comes and goes, our internet searches live on as a digital time capsule of life in 2025. —Glenn Garner, Deadline, 4 Dec. 2025

Now the pristine time capsule has popped up on the market for the first time at $25 million, with William Baker of The Agency Beverly Hills holding the esteemed listing. —Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2025

Carved over millions of years by the Colorado River, the canyon’s layers are like a time capsule of the planet’s history. —Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 22 Nov. 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