time frame

noun

variants: or less commonly timeframe \ ˈtīm-ˌfrām

How to pronounce timeframe (audio)

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Definition of time frame

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

time frame or timeframe? Example Sentences Learn More about time frame

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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

State police searched that home last week after neighbors reported hearing banging in the house close to the time frame when Jennifer Farber Dulos disappeared. — Dave Altimari, courant.com, "Sources: The black Ford Raptor owned by Fotis Dulos’ company was in New Canaan on day Jennifer Farber Dulos disappeared — but he wasn’t driving it," 13 June 2019 But, Denver is only one point on a map, and the time frame used to try and figure this out only stretches 30 years. — Chris Bianchi, The Denver Post, "Colorado weather: Does a wet spring mean a wet summer for the Front Range?," 8 June 2019 Louisville's police union has filed a lawsuit against Metro Government over the Louisville Metro Police Department allegedly refusing to fill an open sergeant position in the time frame set in state law. — Darcy Costello, The Courier-Journal, "Louisville police union files lawsuit telling LMPD to fill promotional openings on time," 7 June 2019 As complications keep appearing, the time frame is pushed back. — Cara Anna, The Seattle Times, "AP Explains: Why 2nd-worst Ebola outbreak is growing concern," 13 Apr. 2019 Set up a few vases around your home for a purple punch of color inspired by this holy time frame. — Madison Alcedo, Country Living, "The Real Meaning Behind the Colors of Easter," 8 Mar. 2019 The moves in long-term Treasury yields swung financial stocks, which borrow on short time frames and lend with longer time horizons. — Amrith Ramkumar And Akane Otani, WSJ, "Stocks Close Higher on U.S.-China Trade Optimism," 13 Feb. 2019 Such a long time frame favors projects where investors need to be patient anyway. — Jeff Andrews, Curbed, "Opportunity zones: vital community development tool or tax windfall for the rich?," 3 Oct. 2018 There was no set time frame for when all the outages would be repaired. — Amina Khan, latimes.com, "Crews work to restore power to L.A. County residents and businesses as heat wave continues," 8 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'time frame.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Dictionary Entries near time frame

Statistics for time frame

Last Updated

16 Jun 2019

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Time Traveler for time frame

The first known use of time frame was in 1964

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More Definitions for time frame

time frame

noun

English Language Learners Definition of time frame

: a period of time that is used or planned for a particular action or project

See the full definition for time frame in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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