time frame

noun

variants or less commonly timeframe
: 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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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 See All Example Sentences for time frame

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of time frame was in 1893

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Cite this Entry

“Time frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20frame. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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