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

Perhaps hidden somewhere in the time capsule was a key to prevent, or at least delay, such an outcome. —Dhruv Khullar, New Yorker, 28 Apr. 2025

Housed in the historic atelier where Saint Laurent created his collections for nearly 30 years, the museum is both a time capsule and a creative incubator. —Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025

Each of these sites serves as a time capsule offering clues about Earth's past—and possibly a future blighted by climate change. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025

Vanguard 1 is a time capsule of the Space Age, the study group explained. —Leonard David, Space.com, 4 Apr. 2025

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