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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 after the doors closed, my friend said, “I think I’m going to call him.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

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

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 16, 2025

Seeing how my hands were occupied, my face sort of broke the fall, hitting the wall first, a millisecond before my foot slipped into the brimming trough.

From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx

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.