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

Meanwhile, Silicon Valley researchers remain more cautious on timelines than their Chinese counterparts, where government mandates and manufacturing scale are driving faster deployment. —Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 13 Mar. 2026

And here’s where our timelines diverge. —Joe Reid, Vulture, 13 Mar. 2026

Swig Swig is plotting its newest location in Charlotte, though the timeline for the opening is unclear. —Tanasia Kenney, Charlotte Observer, 13 Mar. 2026

The show’s second season had a similar production timeline to its first, beginning in the fall and wrapping before the holidays. —Dallas Morning News, 13 Mar. 2026

The city responded in July saying yes, which led to Fifth Gear deciding to lease the parcel, according to a timeline presented by a consultant working for the company, Wes Hoblit, at the March 11 zoning commission meeting. —Harrison Mantas, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 13 Mar. 2026

The conflict is expected to last four to five weeks, but the timeline may change depending on circumstances. —David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 13 Mar. 2026

Encryption support ending Instagram confirmed the timeline in its Help Center documentation. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 13 Mar. 2026

Colder storage can extend that timeline. —Hannah Lee Leidy, Bon Appetit Magazine, 13 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1b