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

The pandemic weighed on the timeline, too, forcing a delay of roughly a year and a half. —Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 June 2026

For anyone burned by melatonin gummies, white noise machines and prescription sleep drugs, the timeline question is the one that matters most — how fast does Pulsetto actually work, and what does the company’s own data show? —Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 4 June 2026

The news outlet also reached out to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office seeking information about the investigation’s timeline and whether additional or upgraded charges are being considered. —Chelsea Jones, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026

Define fairness in numbers and timelines, then carefully write it down and invite their edits until both sides feel solid together. —Pubsubhub User, Baltimore Sun, 4 June 2026

Business owners inside the mall tell CBS News they were supposed to meet on Wednesday with mall leadership to get a better understanding of the moving timeline, but no one from the mall showed up. —Madeline Montgomery, CBS News, 4 June 2026

There's a timeline of President Obama's accomplishments while in office. —Tamara Keith, NPR, 4 June 2026

Construction contracts allow for that number of closures in order to cut the project’s timeline from six years to three, Dale said in an email to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. —Vanessa McCray, AJC.com, 4 June 2026

In this true crime documentary, Emmy-winning filmmaker Liz Garbus and her team examine the timeline leading up to the horrific incident, offering a different explanation behind one of New York's worst motor vehicle accidents. —James Mercadante, Entertainment Weekly, 4 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1b