time frame

noun

variants or less commonly timeframe
: a period of time especially with respect to some action or project

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time frame or timeframe?

Should time frame be written as one word or two? At present, it is most commonly styled as two words with no hyphen in between.

Compounds, or “words consisting of components that are words,” come in three varieties: open (two words with a space between them, such as lima bean), hyphenated (two words with a hyphen between them, such as runner-up), and closed (one word, such as rowboat). In some cases, competing compound stylings appear in different publications. This is generally acceptable as long as the spelling remains consistent throughout a book or periodical.

Compounds have a tendency to move from open to closed as time goes by, and our evidence suggests that time frame is headed in this direction. At this point, however, the open compound is far more prevalent.

Examples of time frame in a Sentence

They were not able to finish the project within the established time frame.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
More broadly, the absence of a clear time frame for elections and a wider political transition will heighten uncertainty and, over time, could risk further unrest. Michael Kugelman, NPR, 21 Dec. 2024 Within the small time frame and against the odds of brutal travel to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Naude and Campos Iriarte captured several Mamo voices across generations. Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 19 Dec. 2024 In the same time frame, unidentified drones were also reported flying over three U.K. air bases used by the U.S. Air Force, as well as U.S. military bases in Germany. Tim Ryan, Newsweek, 18 Dec. 2024 Global production volume in the third quarter of 2024 fell about 17 percent compared to the same time frame in 2022 (last year was excluded due to the dual writers’ and actors’ strikes), per industry tracker ProdPro. Erik Hayden, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for time frame 

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of time frame was in 1893

Dictionary Entries Near time frame

Cite this Entry

“Time frame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20frame. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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