timeline

noun

time·​line ˈtīm-ˌlīn 

variants or time line

plural timelines or time lines

1

a

: an arrangement or occurrence (as of past events) in time : chronology

After interviewing the suspect, the wardens pieced together a timeline of events and gathered enough evidence to file appropriate charges …

—Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

b

: a visual representation of events associated with a particular period of time arranged chronologically along a line or in a linear format

The book also includes a timeline, showing which dinosaurs lived when and where, and how the Earth has changed over millions of years.

—The Children's Bookwatch

In her "Foundations of Western Civilization" course … Prof. Julia Gossard has her students create a timeline of the history of food …

—Thomas Keith

c

: a schedule of planned events, actions, etc. : timetable sense 2

With just under a year left until your nuptials, here's what's next on your wedding planning timeline.

—Sarah Hanlon

Giving the client a say in every step of the project could create a delay and throw off the timeline …

—Katie Bates

2

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

And what's the timeline for implementing these changes?

—Mark Sovel

The stakes are high, and the timeline is tight.

—Rio Longacre

… school districts can't open before Labor Day and must end by June 15. But to meet that compressed timeline … , districts have had to consider trade-offs.

—Donna St. George

3

: a stream of social media posts : feed sense 3e

Algorithmic timelines quietly replaced chronological ones, until our social-media feeds no longer took direction from us, but rather directed us where they wanted us to go.

—Yair Rosenberg

And if there's something funny … I make sure to Retweet so others can cleanse their timeline and enjoy.

—Andy Richardson

4

: a branch of a theoretical multiverse that exists in parallel with other branches

… the notion that we're surrounded by a multitude of parallel selves, one of which might be living in a better timeline than the one we're stuck in.

—S. I. Rosenbaum

—used especially in science fiction

… Dune: Awakening is set in an "alternate" timeline from the original Frank Herbert novels, where something has happened to change the course of history.

—Wes Fenlon

Examples of timeline in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Researchers at the University of Montpellier looked at more than 225,000 bones from 311 archaeological sites across Mediterranean France, spanning a timeline of 8,000 years. —New Atlas, 7 Sep. 2025

However, ensure any sector-specific investments align with your overall risk tolerance and investment timeline. —Robert Daugherty, Forbes.com, 7 Sep. 2025

When Microsoft releases a Windows version, the support clock starts ticking on a 24-month timeline for Home and Pro editions and a 36-month one for Enterprise and Education editions. —Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 7 Sep. 2025

Convinced that Zoom was responsible for changing the timeline, Barry goes in search of other superheroes for assistance, only to find things are trickier on that front as well. —Will Harris, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025

However, also leave space—both in your timeline and vehicle—for the unexpected. —Jennifer Prince, Southern Living, 6 Sep. 2025

Those considerations are consistent with the timeline provided by Hawley, and a formal pilot pickup is expected. —Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2025

The government did not provide a timeline for the plan to take effect, but Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the army’s leadership will submit a monthly report to the cabinet on its progress. —Mostafa Salem, CNN Money, 5 Sep. 2025

The modules can be produced in a factory setting and then shipped to the site, a process that can reduce construction costs and timelines compared to traditional nuclear plants. —Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 5 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1