time frame

noun

variants or less commonly timeframe

ˈtīm-ˌfrām 

: a period of time especially with respect to some action or project

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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

Of 878 former players who died in that time frame, 235 had donated their brains for research. — Nadia Kounang, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026

That’s 32 people since the beginning of 2025, while the rest of the United States has carried out 38 over the same time frame, according to data from the Death Penalty Information Center. — Miami Herald, 22 Aug. 2026

The bottom line is that several key technical factors are now lining up for RRC across multiple time frames. — Frank Cappelleri, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2026

Once the time frame ends, the agency has no way to look at the recording history, Herron said. — Taylor O'Connor 19, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for time frame

• aspartame
• counterclaim
• overcame
• underframe
• username
• acclaim
• aflame
• airframe
• ballgame
• became
• declaim
• defame