time trial

American

noun

Sports.

a race in which competitors are timed individually on a set distance over a course or track, especially to qualify for a successive event.

time trial British

noun

(esp in cycling) a race in which the competitors compete against the clock over a specified course

"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

Other Word Forms

time-trialling

noun

Etymology

Origin of time trial

First recorded in 1855–60

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.

See Examples For:

time trial

But another time trial on stage 18 could give him the chance for victory when hot favourite and joint most successful Tour de France winner Pogacar, 27, could be riding for percentages.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

Tarling has won a stage of the Giro d'Italia and the European time trial title.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

After winning the team sprint with Rhian Edmunds and Lowri Thomas, Finucane was imperious with stunning success in the individual sprint, 1,000m time trial and keirin.

From BBC ● Aug. 2, 2026

Sanofi said at the time trial recruitment during the Covid-19 pandemic contributed toward lower rates of worsening symptoms, they add.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

On April 10, Ulbrickson finally staged the formal time trial that was to determine who would race as the varsity.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown

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