: the time between the beginning of a process or project and the appearance of its results
Examples of lead time in a Sentence
We will need at least six months lead time before production begins.
Recent Examples on the Web
Given the long lead time that animation takes from concept to air, Hayden’s exit has been in the works for a while.
—
Variety, NBC News, 25 Nov. 2024
Similarly, a cosmetics company sought to use AI to reduce lead times and improve order accuracy.
—Ketan Anand, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Yes, but: Don't look to new nuclear projects with longer lead times to meet the near-term increase in energy demand, cautions Tyler Norris of Duke University.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024
The long lead time isn’t due to bottlenecks at Nvidia, but instead something far more mundane.
—Grace Shao, Fortune Asia, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lead time 
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Variety, NBC News, 25 Nov. 2024
Similarly, a cosmetics company sought to use AI to reduce lead times and improve order accuracy.
—Ketan Anand, Forbes, 6 Nov. 2024
Yes, but: Don't look to new nuclear projects with longer lead times to meet the near-term increase in energy demand, cautions Tyler Norris of Duke University.
—Andrew Freedman, Axios, 16 Oct. 2024
The long lead time isn’t due to bottlenecks at Nvidia, but instead something far more mundane.
—Grace Shao, Fortune Asia, 10 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for lead time
Dictionary Entries Near lead time
Cite this Entry
“Lead time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead%20time. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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