lead time

or lead-time

[ leed ]

noun

1. the period of time between the initial phase of a process and the emergence of results, as between the planning and completed manufacture of a product.

lead time

/ liːd /

noun

1. manufacturing the time between the design of a product and its production
2. commerce the time from the placing of an order to the delivery of the goods

Word History and Origins

Origin of lead time¹

An Americanism dating back to 1940–45

Example Sentences

With less lead time, researchers could use a combination of multiple deflections, larger spacecrafts, or boosts in speed, depending on the hazardous object.

From Salon

Yet “even though that sounds like it’s far away . . . it doesn’t necessarily give us a ton of lead time,” Bettwy said.

From Los Angeles Times

"Those who have past experiences with tornados reported that they needed fewer than 15 minutes to prepare when a warning was issued, but those without that experience wanted more lead time to prepare," Armstrong said.

From Science Daily

The Alliance had argued there was not enough lead time for the industry to adjust to a sudden implementation.

From Seattle Times

“We simply didn’t have the lead time as we did for the men’s games,” she said.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• arrangement
• construction
• education
• establishment
• formation
• groundwork
• measure
• plan
• precaution
• preparedness
• qualification
• rehearsal
• study
• training