chronology

noun

chro·​nol·​o·​gy krə-ˈnä-lə-jē How to pronounce chronology (audio)
plural chronologies
1
: the science that deals with measuring time by regular divisions and that assigns to events their proper dates
2
: a chronological table, list, or account
a chronology of the author's works
3
: an arrangement (as of events) in order of occurrence
reconstruct the chronology of the trip
The book provides a chronology of events leading up to the American Civil War.

Did you know?

History is much more than a simple chronology of events, but keeping events in chronological order is the first essential step in thinking about it. When, for example, historians try to show how World War I prepared the way for World War II, tracking the chronology of the events in the years between the two wars can help in explaining a complicated historical era.

Examples of chronology in a Sentence

We tried to reconstruct the chronology of the accident. The book provides a chronology of the events leading up to the American Civil War.
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.
This is compounded by the second big change: The chronology is simply abandoned entirely in the process. Erik Kain, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024 The early stretches of the memoir are told in detailed ramblings, but as the chronology progresses, Lisa Marie’s dispatches grow shorter and shorter. Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024 The silhouettes, somewhat androgynous in their shape, referenced many archived collections, challenging chronology. Laia Farran Graves, Forbes, 25 Oct. 2024 Along with wooden benches and a replica stove, the schoolroom walls are lined with panels outlining its history, only one of which — a poster with the portraits of all 19 Republican presidents, ranging in chronology and ideology from Abraham Lincoln to Trump — appears overtly partisan. David Maraniss, Washington Post, 15 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for chronology 

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin chronologia, from chrono- chrono- + -logia -logy

First Known Use

1585, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of chronology was in 1585

Dictionary Entries Near chronology

Cite this Entry

“Chronology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/chronology. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

chronology

noun
chro·​nol·​o·​gy krə-ˈnäl-ə-jē How to pronounce chronology (audio)
plural chronologies
1
: the science that deals with measuring time and dating events
2
: a chronological table or list
chronologist
-jəst
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on chronology

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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