What does timing mean?
Timing is the relationship between an event and the moment at which it occurs. It can refer to deliberate scheduling, as in “the timing of a release,” or to the precision with which an action is performed. In sport, music, and performance, timing concerns the right moment for a movement or effect. It also has technical senses: measuring elapsed time, coordinating related events, and setting the moment of ignition or another mechanical operation. The word is usually neutral, but in everyday expressions about missed or poorly chosen moments it can imply opportunity or lost potential. Because timing combines the abstract idea of time with the practical task of placing events in sequence, it is useful whenever accuracy and coordination matter, from a daily routine to an industrial process.
nounThe arrangement or regulation of events in relation to time, especially the precise moment when an action or event should occur. It can also refer to the measurement of elapsed time or, technically, to the moment at which a mechanical process is initiated.
- The choice or arrangement of when something happens, especially when done to achieve an intended effect.
- The measurement or regulation of elapsed duration.
- The coordination of related actions or events so that they occur at the appropriate moments.
- The moment at which an engine ignites or another mechanical process begins.
"The exact timing of the announcement gave the surprise greater impact."
"The launch was delayed because of poor timing."
"She has an instinct for knowing when to change the subject."
The plural is used especially for separately assigned or recorded moments, as with the timing of different events or performances.
"The timings of the two heats differed by less than a second."
In an engine, ignition timing can be the difference between smooth acceleration and a backfire.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does timing come from?
Timing is an English formation from time with the suffix -ing, a form used both for an action and its result. Time descends from Old English tīma, “time, hour, season,” a Germanic word with close cognates in Dutch tijd and German Zeit. The same English root underlies timely, untimely, and timeless.
How timing is actually used
Generally neutral and widely used in formal and informal contexts. In discussion of performance, sport, and creative work, it often carries connotations of coordination, precision, and suitability; in everyday expressions about missed opportunities, it can imply poor judgment or bad fortune.
Easily confused with timing
Time is the measured dimension or duration, whereas timing refers more specifically to when something happens or to the coordination of events in relation to time.