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  • me time
    me time
    noun
    time spent focusing on oneself and only doing things one wants to do.
  • me-time
    me-time
    noun
    the time a person has to himself or herself, in which to do something for his or her own enjoyment

me time

American  
[mee tahym] / ˈmi ˌtaɪm /
Or me-time

noun

Informal.
  1. time spent focusing on oneself and only doing things one wants to do.

    I’ll try to find some me time when the kids go back to school.


me-time British  

noun

  1. the time a person has to himself or herself, in which to do something for his or her own enjoyment

"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

Etymology

Origin of me time

First recorded in 1980–85

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.

The reason that being five years out from retirement is such a big deal is that it gives me time to plan.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 22, 2026

That saves me time and helps me pause before trusting AI-generated information—even if I still have to follow up with my own fact-checking.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

The party leader also refused to be drawn on whether Reform UK would appoint a new Welsh leader prior to the Senedd elections, replying: "Give me time".

From BBC • Apr. 23, 2025

This explains why antibiotics failed me time and time again: They selected for the resistant and hypervirulent strains of C. acnes.

From Slate • Feb. 22, 2025

She's cost me time, too, because by now it's clear that I must get to the table next.

From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins

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