lead time

noun

: 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
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.
Five key metrics developed by Google's DevOps Research and Assessment (DORA) team have become the industry standard for assessing a development team’s performance: deployment frequency, lead time for changes, change failure rate, time to restore service and reliability. Debo Ray, Forbes, 14 Jan. 2025 Pricing starts at $690,000 before adding anything from a vast list of custom options, and lead times currently hover at about a year before customers can take delivery. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 9 Jan. 2025 This reduces lead times, eliminates minimum order quantity (MOQ) restrictions and increases flexibility for customers, further strengthening Copen’s global footprint. Sj Studio, Sourcing Journal, 31 Dec. 2024 And because changes to defense spending, procurement, and force posture require significant lead times, Washington and its allies must think beyond the current war in Ukraine and start making investments now to prevent Russian opportunistic aggression later on. Andrea Kendall-Taylor, Foreign Affairs, 18 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for lead time 

Word History

First Known Use

1944, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lead time was in 1944

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 19 Jan. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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