prime time

American

noun

Radio and Television.

the hours, generally between 8 and 11 p.m., usually having the largest audience of the day.

prime time British

noun

the peak viewing time on television, for which advertising rates are the highest

"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

adjective

occurring during or designed for prime time

a primetime drama

"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 prime time

First recorded in 1955–60

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 UK version, which has been running for 10 seasons, is broadcast at prime time on Channel 4's sister channel E4.

From BBC • May 18, 2026

The summer will also be prime time for the other big trade cloud hanging over businesses: The renegotiation of the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade pact.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

“Agents aren’t ready for prime time in doing the kind of execution on financial tasks that carry a lot of weight or importance,” Kates said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 19, 2026

MS NOW has seen improved ratings in prime time with opinion programming since the network was re-branded in November.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

I am in prime time to be dropping over!

From "The Hot Zone" by Richard Preston

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