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 Testaments novel opened several years after The Handmaid’s Tale book ended, but since the series continued well beyond the book’s timeline, the gap narrows between the two series. —Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 6 Dec. 2025

Union leaders have not provided a strike timeline but say a walkout could begin at any moment. —CBS News, 6 Dec. 2025

At this point, Golden State has long abandoned its two-timeline strategy, and going all-in on a potential championship trio of Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler makes the most sense as dusk begins to take a firm hold over the dynasty by the Bay. —Max Dible, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025

Currently, the project is unfunded, and has no timeline for implementation, with funding to be evaluated during the 2027/2028 budget cycle, along with other transportation projects, according to Klein. —Luis Melecio-Zambrano, Mercury News, 5 Dec. 2025

Sturm did not yet have a timeline for his return. —Steve Conroy, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025

The board decided against that plan and voted instead to hold a special meeting to determine a different process and timeline to fill the vacancy. —Mary Divine, Twin Cities, 5 Dec. 2025

The timeline might stretch out for a long time. —Jeff Kilburg, CNBC, 5 Dec. 2025

Don't miss these Including some amazing photos and web design, check out a timeline in the life of Yessenia Ruano, a Milwaukee teacher's aide deported to El Salvador. —Jr Radcliffe, jsonline.com, 4 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1907, in the meaning defined at sense 1b