local time

American

noun

the time based on the meridian through a specific place, as a city, in contrast to that of the time zone within which the place is located; the time in a specific place as compared to that of another place to the east or west.

local time British

noun

the time in a particular region or area expressed with reference to the meridian passing through it

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of local time

First recorded in 1825–35

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.

Xi and Cheng met Friday morning local time, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026

These satellites collect images after midnight, usually between 1:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. local time, and scan nearly the entire planet each night between 70° North and 60° South.

From Science Daily • Apr. 9, 2026

"The Japanese embassy in Iran has confirmed that a Japanese national who was detained by Iranian authorities on January 20 was released on April 6 local time," government spokesman Minoru Kihara said.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

The French maritime prefecture said the small boat was seen heading towards the beach at Gravelines at around 09:30 local time, where 30 migrants were waiting to board.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

We were scheduled to arrive at Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport at 2:35 a.m. local time, which constituted a thirty-minute journey into the future.

From "Darius the Great Is Not Okay" by Adib Khorram

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023