reaction time

American

noun

Psychology.

the interval between stimulation and response.

reaction time British

noun

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.

“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

But if the exchanges are open when news arrives, reaction time may become more important.

From Barron's • Oct. 23, 2025

Obliviousness will seriously slow your reaction time, so during these times, window shades should be up and noise-canceling headphones and sleep masks set aside.

From Slate • Mar. 14, 2025

Lyles tied with Letsile Tebogo for the slowest reaction time of anyone in the field, a time of 0.178 notably down on Fred Kerley's lightning 0.108.

From BBC • Aug. 5, 2024

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

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