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reaction time

American  

noun

Psychology.
  1. the interval between stimulation and response.


reaction time British  

noun

  1. physiol another name for latent 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

Etymology

Origin of reaction time

First recorded in 1875–80

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.

See Examples For:

The condition could explain why Isak’s knee collapsed, his inability to correct his posture and reduced his reaction time during a fall, Jonathan’s lawyers said.

From The Wall Street Journal May 28, 2026

Some also completed cognitive tests measuring memory and reaction time.

From Science Daily Feb. 7, 2026

While Singapore-based Sharpa already offers a convincing humanoid table tennis robot with a reaction time of just two hundredths of a second, there is no equivalent on the market for tennis.

From Barron's Jan. 9, 2026

“The reaction time, the way he’s able to change direction, the speed with which he accelerates, it’s different,” Fenton said.

From Los Angeles Times Nov. 6, 2025

In the middle of the 1860s, Donders turned his attention to human reaction time.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel

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