lead time
Americannoun
noun
-
manufacturing the time between the design of a product and its production
-
commerce the time from the placing of an order to the delivery of the goods
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of lead time
An Americanism dating back to 1940–45
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The spike in demand for scarce components has pushed up costs across the supply chain as well and lengthened lead time for receiving critical aerospace parts.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
He says he’s wary about his Somali clients getting a fair hearing, given the volume of cases that have been rescheduled and the abbreviated lead time for hearings.
From Slate • Mar. 27, 2026
“Our tracking shows continued shortening in lead time in all models and markets, with only a few exceptions,” he wrote on Monday.
From MarketWatch • Oct. 29, 2025
At Southwest Airlines, lead time can be eight to 10 months.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2025
The few days of lead time were just enough to scope out the bare essentials of her new life: the location of the nearest AME church, mealtimes at the Lucy home, and transportation to work.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
