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

Created by puppeteer Tom Lee in collaboration with the modern classical music group Eighth Blackbird, the production tells the tale of the Golden Record, an interstellar time capsule launched in 1977 in Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 spacecraft. —Susana Hills, AJC.com, 13 Feb. 2026

In retrospect, High Maintenance is a bit of a time capsule — a snapshot of weed’s waning days as a countercultural signifier. —Ezra Marcus, Vulture, 11 Feb. 2026

And while many might be reluctant to close the time capsule door on their beloved skinnies, some of us are sighing with relief that the current denim trend is comfy enough for travel. —Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 11 Feb. 2026

These ancient wanderers, like comet 3I/ATLAS, are cosmic time capsules. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 9 Feb. 2026

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