timeline

American  

[tahym-lahyn] / ˈtaɪmˌlaɪn /

Or time line

noun

timelines plural

1. a linear representation of important events in the order in which they occurred.

2. a schedule; timetable.

3. Digital Technology.

   1. a collection of online posts or updates associated with a specific social media account, in reverse chronological order.

   2. timeline bar.

4. an alternate reality in which events unfold differently, often beginning at a single identifiable moment of divergence that establishes a distinct but recognizable parallel existence: We’re stuck in the darkest timeline, trapped in a dystopian nightmare.

   My free-love hippie mom just got engaged to a hedge fund manager—what timeline am I living in?

   We’re stuck in the darkest timeline, trapped in a dystopian nightmare.

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timeline British  

/ ˈtaɪmˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a graphic representation showing the passage of time as a line

2. a time frame during which something is scheduled to happen

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Usage

What is a timeline? A timeline is a visual representation of chronological events on a line. Timelines are often used in videos, textbooks, articles, or other media that is recounting history. In online news and entertainment, a timeline is also often used to keep track of events as they happen, especially for pressing stories such as major world events and important elections. On social media, a timeline is a broad term that refers to a collection of posts on someone’s account. For example, on Twitter, a user’s timeline is full of posts that they and those they follow create in an order determined by algorithm. While some social media sites might officially refer to such a collection as a page, board, or home, they can all casually be called timelines. Example: To recreate a timeline of events from that evening, we will need as many details as possible.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• timelines
  plural

Etymology

Origin of timeline

First recorded in 1950–55; time ( def. ) + line ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A timeline is a list of important events arranged in the order in which they happened. You might write out a timeline of Civil War battles when you're studying for a big history test. Timelines are often used in history textbooks and biographies — they explain what happened during a certain period of time or to a particular person, starting with the earliest event and moving forward through time. Your own personal timeline, for example, might begin with your birth. Many timelines are represented graphically by an actual line that's dotted with points representing important events.

Example Sentences

Appeared in the September 29, 2025, print edition as 'A Timeline of Key Moments in American Capitalism'.

From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 27, 2025

Moyes is also remembered on Goodison Park's exterior, football's cyclical nature illustrated by his image on The Everton Timeline that snakes its way around the stadium, commemorating moments of significance in the club's history.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2025

As Jan O'Connell, author of A Timeline of Australian Food notes, Australian Chinese food reflects a complex history of pro- and anti-immigration policies.

From Salon • May 30, 2023

In The Future of Another Timeline, characters travel back in time to try to prevent the Comstock laws.

From Scientific American • Apr. 28, 2023

I mean our Earth, which falls into what I have designated Timeline One Point One, since it's the Earth with which I am most familiar.

From Back to Julie by Wilson, Richard

Related Words

• agenda
• timetable