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Synonyms

millisecond

American  
[mil-uh-sek-uhnd] / ˈmɪl əˌsɛk ənd /

noun

  1. one thousandth of a second. msec

millisecond British  
/ ˈmɪlɪˌsɛkənd /

noun

  1.  ms.  one thousandth of a second

"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 millisecond

First recorded in 1905–10; milli- + second 2

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.

"I would say they were a millisecond, like the fastest a camera shutter can open and close," added Wiseman, who said the flashes were "white to bluish white."

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

“As a user,” Krug argues, “I should never have to devote a millisecond of thought to whether things are clickable—or not.”

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

A millisecond used to be a big deal for the world’s quickest traders.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

The source of this mysterious light has remained uncertain, leaving two main possibilities: it could stem from the collision of dark matter particles or from rapidly spinning neutron stars known as millisecond pulsars.

From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2025

I wait another millisecond to see if she’ll turn around, but she doesn’t.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

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.