coordinated universal time

[ koh-awr-dn-ey-tid yoo-nuh-vur-suhl tahym ]

noun

1. Greenwich Time that is adjusted to minimize its divergence from international atomic time. : UTC

coordinated universal time

/ kō-ôr′dn-ā′tĭd /

1. A highly accurate time scale based on time measured by an atomic clock. Because coordinated universal time is unaffected by the gradual slowing of Earth's rotation, leap seconds are added as needed to synchronize it with the sidereal (rotation-based) universal time. Coordinated universal time is used internationally for scientific and technical purposes.
2. Compare universal time

Word History and Origins

Origin of coordinated universal time¹

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Each lunar mission uses its own timescale that is linked, through its handlers on Earth, to coordinated universal time, or UTc — the standard against which the planet’s clocks are set.

From Scientific American

But without leap seconds, what happens to coordinated universal time?

From The Verge

Along with other clocks across the globe, it provides the world with its coordinated universal time.

From BBC

International atomic time — on which coordinated universal time, or UTC, is based — is currently calculated by averaging measurements from hundreds of atomic clocks.

From Nature

So the world's timekeepers occasionally add leap seconds to what’s called coordinated universal time, or UTC.

From Scientific American