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 months that followed LaFaro’s death, in which Evans disappeared from public life, alternately feeding his heroin addiction or going cold turkey in an attempt to kick it, constitute the movie’s principal timeline. —David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Feb. 2026

The timeline is largely due to demand, and to budget time for costume emergencies or special requests. —Megan Sauer, CNBC, 13 Feb. 2026

While Helion has the most aggressive timeline for first commercial power—under contract for Microsoft data centers—skeptics have questioned Helion’s start date; its unique technological approach versus competitors; and its relative lack of scientific updates until now. —Jordan Blum, Fortune, 13 Feb. 2026

According to the company's timeline history, Shutterfly purchased Lifetouch in 2018. —Melina Khan, USA Today, 13 Feb. 2026

At the school board’s September meeting, the steering committee will recommend which schools to close and a potential timeline for their closure, likely spread out over the next two to three years, not all at once. —Kendrick Calfee february 13, Kansas City Star, 13 Feb. 2026

No director, co-stars or production timeline have been announced yet. —Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 13 Feb. 2026

As investigators continue to piece together the timeline surrounding Nancy Guthrie’s disappearance, attention has increasingly focused on a handful of vehicles connected to the home — and a possible truck that detectives appear eager to identify. —Sarah Rumpf-Whitten , Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 12 Feb. 2026

Israel and Hamas remain divided over the timeline and scope of Israel's withdrawal and the demilitarization of the enclave after nearly two decades of Hamas rule. —Arkansas Online, 11 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1b