time capsule

American  

noun

time capsules plural

1. a receptacle containing documents or objects typical of the current period, placed in the earth or in a cornerstone for discovery in the future.

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time capsule British  

noun

1. a container holding articles, documents, etc, representative of the current age, buried in the earth or in the foundations of a new building for discovery in the future

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• time capsules
  plural

Etymology

Origin of time capsule

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

time capsule

Jay Nanninga, a National Institute of Standards and Technology mechanical engineer who designed the time capsule, had to address such storage issues.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

Another time capsule scheduled for opening when the United States turns 500 years old was unveiled a few days ago in Washington.

From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026

America’s 250th anniversary planners had a seemingly simple mandate from Congress: Bury a time capsule in Philadelphia, with artifacts to be unearthed in another 250 years.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026

And with no plate tectonics, or wind and rain to wipe this record away, the Moon is a perfect time capsule.

From BBC ● Mar. 29, 2026

Annie said that maybe they could put a telephone in later, but I don’t know how they’ll be able to open up the time capsule after Cleopatra’s Needle is standing on top of it!

From "The (Mostly) True Story of Cleopatra's Needle" by Dan Gutman