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

Differences in the way figures are counted and factors like the age and health of the population, as well as nations' geography, play a part in the average response time of an ambulance.

From BBC • Apr. 2, 2026

"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

He added that state and local police have improved their response time to removing protest barricades and driving away protesters trying to disrupt DHS operations.

From Salon • Feb. 14, 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

Rapidity In a technology sense, rapidity includes the speed of operational planning, determining appropriate action, deployment, and employment all focused toward minimizing response time.

From Shock and Awe — Achieving Rapid Dominance by Wade, James P.