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

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Etymology

Origin of time capsule

First recorded in 1935–40

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

time capsule

When travelers enter Dulles International Airport, they pass through a time capsule from the Space Age.

From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026

Along Front Street, Forestville’s tiny commercial core, you could get a corn dog for $3.30 at Carr’s Drive-Inn, which looks like a time capsule from 1979.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026

The school was so central to the community that in 2017 the city of South Euclid buried a time capsule on Notre Dame’s lawn, containing predictions from area children about their futures.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

"I try to commemorate cultural moments in New York City, and this seemed to be a big one, so just capturing a little time capsule from that moment in time," he said.

From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026

Unlike land sites, where the invaluable evidence of past cultures and people are often covered over or mingled with the relics of succeeding eras, an ancient shipwreck is a pristine historic time capsule.

From "Shipwrecked!" by Martin W. Sandler

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