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

Those users confirmed the data tied to their accounts was accurate but outdated, which aligns with the Mixpanel timeline. —Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 29 Dec. 2025

Aside from the charges, the arrest documents also revealed more information and a clearer timeline of events leading up to Cantave's hospitalization and Brinson's arrest. —Hunter Geisel, CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025

There’s still little clarity on a timeline for the returns of Adebayo and Herro. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025

Those interested in skiing should aim to arrive right in the middle of that timeline. —Lydia Mansel, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025

Israel is officially scheduled to hold elections in October 2026, though that timeline could collapse sooner. —Tal Shalev, CNN Money, 28 Dec. 2025

Following the very successful Game of Thrones prequel series House of the Dragon, the latest Westeros installment is situated somewhere between the timelines of House of the Dragon and Game of Thrones and follows the adventures of Sir Dunk and his squire Egg. —Lucy Ford, Time, 27 Dec. 2025

From the sprawling cast of characters to the various missions and timelines, there is too much to wade through. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 27 Dec. 2025

Carbios maintains its commitment to build the Longlaville plant and adjusts its timeline. —Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 26 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1b