time frame

noun

variants or less commonly timeframe

ˈtīm-ˌfrām 

: a period of time especially with respect to some action or project

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time frame or timeframe?

Should time frame be written as one word or two? At present, it is most commonly styled as two words with no hyphen in between.

Compounds, or “words consisting of components that are words,” come in three varieties: open (two words with a space between them, such as lima bean), hyphenated (two words with a hyphen between them, such as runner-up), and closed (one word, such as rowboat). In some cases, competing compound stylings appear in different publications. This is generally acceptable as long as the spelling remains consistent throughout a book or periodical.

Compounds have a tendency to move from open to closed as time goes by, and our evidence suggests that time frame is headed in this direction. At this point, however, the open compound is far more prevalent.

Examples of time frame in a Sentence

They were not able to finish the project within the established time frame.

Recent Examples on the Web

Later, the White House said in a fact sheet that the countries would each invest more than $3 billion in that time frame. —Alex Harring, CNBC, 21 Oct. 2025

But the limited time frame may pose challenges for enforcement. —Rajeev Tyagi, ABC News, 19 Oct. 2025

At the same time, FEMA also reduced the time frame that recipients have to spend the money, from three years to one. —Jason Ma, Fortune, 19 Oct. 2025

In Ohio's largest county, Franklin, prosecutors submitted five capital charges during the same time frame. —Haley Bemiller, Cincinnati Enquirer, 19 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for time frame

• aspartame
• counterclaim
• overcame
• underframe
• username
• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame