response time

American  

noun

1. Psychology. the time consumed in making a response.

2. Computers. the time that elapses while waiting for a computer to respond to a command.

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response time British  

noun

1. computing the length of time taken by a system to respond to an instruction

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Etymology

Origin of response time

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

"Our approach cleverly integrates near-perfect absorbers and super-thin pyroelectrics to achieve a response time of 125 picoseconds, which is a huge improvement for the field."

From Science Daily • Mar. 4, 2026

"The lack of communication slowed the response time, and the response time from Tui to then the clinic," she said.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

The firm found that Starlink provided faster downloads and uploads, along with the least latency, which refers to the delay between an action, like starting a movie, and the system’s response time.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 11, 2026

The coast guard's response time had been "unacceptable", he said.

From Barron's • Jan. 26, 2026

Such response time is a major incentive for programmers to write programs that are not well-behaved.

From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Steele, Guy L.