timeline

or time line

[ tahym-lahyn ]

noun

1. a linear representation of important events in the order in which they occurred.
2. a schedule; timetable.
3. Digital Technology.
   1. a collection of online posts or updates associated with a specific social media account, in reverse chronological order.
   2. timeline bar.
4. an alternate reality in which events unfold differently, often beginning at a single identifiable moment of divergence that establishes a distinct but recognizable parallel existence: We’re stuck in the darkest timeline, trapped in a dystopian nightmare. parallel universe ( def 3 ).

   My free-love hippie mom just got engaged to a hedge fund manager—what timeline am I living in?

   We’re stuck in the darkest timeline, trapped in a dystopian nightmare.

timeline

/ ˈtaɪmˌlaɪn /

noun

1. a graphic representation showing the passage of time as a line
2. a time frame during which something is scheduled to happen

Word History and Origins

Origin of timeline¹

First recorded in 1950–55; time ( def ) + line ¹( def )

Example Sentences

The Danish government may have an aggressive timeline, but it has released few details of its plans.

From MIT Technology Review

In addition to health and safety considerations, Ignatius noted that one major factor that will determine the timeline for expanded in-office availability will be schools.

From Digiday

Alexandria City Public Schools this week joined a flood of Northern Virginia school systems in setting firm timelines for reopening classrooms, vowing to welcome all students back for in-person learning by mid-March.

From Washington Post

The district previously planned to welcome back young children and students with disabilities in late January, but the timeline was extended after labor negotiations failed.

From Washington Post

The timeline approved by the Loudoun County School Board — on a vote of 8 to 1 — is less detailed and moves a little faster.

From Washington Post

Just a month from that date, he now no longer believes that to be realistic, and will no longer estimate a timeline for the trial.

From The Daily Beast

Timeline: Is the story still spreading at the time of the inquiry?

From The Daily Beast

So, he has access to his entire timeline, and it was up to the visualizers to visualize it in some way that it might be.

From The Daily Beast

With the complete camera record, he mapped out an indisputable timeline.

From The Daily Beast

That timeline can serve as the backbone for the story our data tells.

From The Daily Beast

The gas didn't work on me, you see, because it was adjusted to the physiology of that timeline.

From Project Gutenberg

I've made up the gas for him and adjusted the formula so that it will work on people of our timeline.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• agenda
• timetable

More About Timeline

What is a timeline?

A timeline is a visual representation of chronological events on a line.

Timelines are often used in videos, textbooks, articles, or other media that is recounting history. In online news and entertainment, a timeline is also often used to keep track of events as they happen, especially for pressing stories such as major world events and important elections.

On social media, a timeline is a broad term that refers to a collection of posts on someone’s account. For example, on Twitter, a user’s timeline is full of posts that they and those they follow create in an order determined by algorithm. While some social media sites might officially refer to such a collection as a page, board, or home, they can all casually be called timelines.

Example: To recreate a timeline of events from that evening, we will need as many details as possible.

Where does timeline come from?

The first records of the term timeline come from the 1950s. It combines the terms time, referring to the metric used to measure existence, and line, meaning “a mark or stroke that is longer than it is wide.” A timeline effectively means “events arranged on a line in sequential order.”

In entertainment, especially in science fiction and fantasy in which plots can become complex or convoluted, timelines are often used to keep track of and summarize the stories. In these same genres the theme of time travel is also often dealt with, which brings up questions of timelines and effects time travel has on them. In these cases, there can be parallel or multiple existences running on different histories, or timelines.

Did you know … ?

What are some synonyms for timeline? 

• agenda
• timetable
• chronology

What are some words that share a root or word element with timeline? 

• line
• time

What are some words that often get used in discussing timeline?

• chronological
• events
• story

How is timeline used in real life?

A timeline is a chronological collection of events and is often used to list historical or fictional events.

My timeline is nothing but Ariana Grande and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez roasting people and not only am I here for it but I kind of want them to team up

— Jess Goodwin (@thejessgoodwin) November 21, 2018

I'm tired of seeing hate on my timeline from some of my own "fans"

— Carter Reynolds (@carterreynolds) August 5, 2014

i stand by the words "love only", meaning I won't tolerate on my timeline any kind of hate, racism, or discrimination towards ANYONE. period

— camila (@Camila_Cabello) August 6, 2016

 

Try using timeline!

Is timeline used correctly in the following sentence?

Part of our history assignment was to create a timeline of the important battles in World War II.