prime time

noun

1
: the time period when the television or radio audience is the largest
also : television shows shown in prime time
2
: the choicest or busiest time
3
: big time sense 2
a pitcher not yet ready for prime time
prime-time adjective

Examples of prime time in a Sentence

The program is being shown during prime time. He's the best actor in prime time.
Recent Examples on the Web Tax season is prime time for tax scams, said O’Saben. Adriana Morga, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 Between preparing for spring break, outdoor adventures, and other warmer-weather vacations, now is definitely prime time to check on how your travel stash faring. Alexandra Domrongchai, Travel + Leisure, 6 Mar. 2024 Tennessean YouTube angler Alex Rudd agrees with Menendez that the 23rd is prime time for spawning activity in this region. Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 21 Feb. 2024 Presidents’ Day weekend is approaching and, historically, the period around the holiday has been prime time for D.C. snowstorms, with multiple events having produced double-digit accumulations. Dan Stillman, Washington Post, 14 Feb. 2024 Instead, many end users who do not yet have strong conviction about bitcoin’s potential may have learned the wrong lesson – crypto is not ready for prime time. Dave Birnbaum, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 Phoenix police in collaboration with other Valley law enforcement caught the three most recent arrests on late Friday evening, the prime time for the burglaries to occur, according to the court documents. The Arizona Republic, 22 Feb. 2024 Efforts to measure blood sugar in body fluids such as tears, sweat and saliva are not ready for prime time, either. Jonel Aleccia, Quartz, 21 Feb. 2024 Now, it’s shown live on national television in prime time. Rob Maaddi, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prime time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1947, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of prime time was in 1947

Dictionary Entries Near prime time

Cite this Entry

“Prime time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prime%20time. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

prime time

noun
: the time in the evening when television has its largest number of viewers

More from Merriam-Webster on prime time

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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