time stamp

noun

variants or timestamp
plural time stamps or timestamps
1
: a stamping device used for recording the date and time of day on a document, envelope, etc. (as to indicate when it was received or sent out)
2
a
: an indication of the date and time stamped on a document, envelope, etc.
Problem was, a later check of the time stamp on the motion indicated that it had been filed nearly 40 minutes after Heinrich appeared before Wolf.Thanassis Cambanis
b
: an indication of the date and time recorded as part of a digital signal or file (such as an email, digital photograph, radio broadcast, or text message) indicating the time of creation, transmission, etc.
When you share that viral video, it carries a time stamp.Cosmopolitan
… highlighted a seeming discrepancy between the timestamps of the phone records and surveillance video, with the surveillance video suggesting the shooting happened a moment or two earlier than the phone records.Patrick Kernan
time-stamp transitive verb
time-stamped; time-stamping; time-stamps
The repository also contains time-stamped versions of your code … Jeff Jurvis

Examples of time stamp in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Childhood photos are also here, bearing the red time stamp from the 1990s and family members whose faces have been blotted out. Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 29 Sep. 2025 Three trays of hot dog buns were missing time stamps. Sacbee.com, 19 Sep. 2025 Even if their browsing history is age-appropriate, check the time stamp on their texts and activities. Michael Maguire, Boston Herald, 5 Sep. 2025 One more way Halbert advises keeping mornings flexible is by using time blocks rather than time stamps. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for time stamp

Word History

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of time stamp was in 1855

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Time stamp.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20stamp. Accessed 4 Oct. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!