proper time

British

noun

time measured by a clock that has the same motion as the observer. Any clock in motion relative to the observer, or in a different gravitational field, will not, according to the theory of relativity, measure proper time

"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

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 paper, titled "Quantum signatures of proper time in optical ion clocks," appeared April 20, 2026 in Physical Review Letters.

From Science Daily • May 18, 2026

"We're hopeful that we have the proper time... to begin phase two, and finish it off and get more hostages released," he told CNN on Sunday.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2025

I managed to shove a few more things in there that I had really, really wanted to, but in my dream of dreams, we would have had a proper time frame to really dig deep.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 5, 2024

“Despite not having proper time, resources and staffing when things got tough I just did my best to handle it,” Ms. Gutierrez-Reed said in court, reading from a statement, her wrists shackled.

From New York Times • Apr. 15, 2024

The hands glide to indicate the proper time, the planetary alignments set themselves in order.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern

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