lead time
Americannoun
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lead times
plural
noun
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manufacturing the time between the design of a product and its production
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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.
“They’ve had a multiyear lead time on this and I’m just going to try to catch up.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 8, 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
“Other equipment,” another component of business investment, has a similar lead time to transportation equipment.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 18, 2026
At Southwest Airlines, lead time can be eight to 10 months.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 19, 2025
I estimate the lead time on the hoverplanes and let my arrow fly.
From "Mockingjay" by Suzanne Collins
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.
