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

Think about the contributions that are made in such a large timeline. —Lisa Deaderick, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 July 2025

But now, with the Heat, there not only is not nearly enough alongside, there also is a different timeline than for a player selected in the first round in 2017. —Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 5 July 2025

Tommy John surgery typically carries a recovery timeline of at least 12 months, which would put Schmidt on track to miss a sizable portion of next season, too. —Peter Sblendorio, New York Daily News, 5 July 2025

Detectives have continued to interview the mother to better understand her reasoning for leaving the child in the vehicle and a timeline of events, but the Harris County District Attorney's Office will determine any charges related to the tragic incident, according to the outlet. —Sam Gillette, People.com, 4 July 2025

Lea Thompson has to play Lorraine Baines McFly, Marty’s mother in 1955, 1985, and in alternate timelines in Back to the Future, Part II. —Marc Berman, Forbes.com, 3 July 2025

In a way, the more stringent the timelines, the bigger and faster is the mad dash to qualify for tax breaks—even if fewer will be built overall. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 3 July 2025

One of their concerns is the timeline for the district's decision, which is expected later this year. —Alec Johnson, jsonline.com, 3 July 2025

Real Madrid found a way to win Sunday despite being down one of the most captivating athletes in the world in Kylian Mbappe, who spent time in the hospital earlier this week and whose timeline for return is still up in the air. —Alex Zietlow, Charlotte Observer, 23 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1