time frame

noun

variants: or less commonly timeframe \ ˈtīm-ˌfrām

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

What’s the time frame in which a reimbursement should be completed? — Kevin Mcallister, WSJ, "The Confusing World of Venmo Etiquette," 10 Feb. 2019 Both would fit the time frame: old enough to remember the outline, young enough to forget the detail. — Rory Smith, New York Times, "Dele Alli and England Drop Their Guard and Their Past," 18 June 2018 After launching, players inch out as many full-court layups for the remainder of the time frame. — Jake Fischer, SI.com, "Dakota Mathias's Skill Set Doesn't Stop at the Three-Point Line," 14 June 2018 The preferred time frame remains to hire a person to lead the front office before hiring a coach. — Vince Ellis, Detroit Free Press, "Ed Stefanski: Detroit Pistons have foundation for immediate success," 24 May 2018 There have been many more of those troughs and subsequent ridges than usual, which condenses the time frame between the temperature swings, National Weather Service forecaster Phil Gonsalves said. — Robert Krier, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Light rain expected, but see-saw weather may be coming to an end," 18 Apr. 2018 Your time frame for your new flights is a whole 14 days from the original travel day, too. — Meredith Carey, Condé Nast Traveler, "How Tropical Storm Gordon Will Affect Your Travel Plans," 4 Sep. 2018 Three more lists: One considers the major figures whose groundbreaking work came before our time frame. — New York Times, "The Ones We Left Behind," 31 May 2018 What is your time frame to market, and are there are any long-term plans to move beyond lungs to other organs? — Christian Bourge, Popular Mechanics, "How Transplanted Pig Lungs Could Save Human Patients," 30 July 2013

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.