bottom_desktop desktop:[300x250]

  • Daily Crossword
  • Word Puzzle
  • Word Finder
  • Word of the Day
  • Synonym of the Day
  • Word of the Year
  • Language stories
  • All featured
  • Gender and sexuality
  • All pop culture
  • Writing hub
  • Grammar essentials
  • Commonly confused
  • All writing tips
  • Pop culture
  • Writing tips

Advertisement

time travel

  • hypothetical transport through time into the past or the future.

Discover More

Example sentences.

Whatever variant they meet will likely be very interested in time travel through the Quantum Realm, as the title Quantumania suggests.

It feels like every day, we get one step closer to figuring out the science behind time travel.

Considering that Loki will involve lots of time travel, it’s probable that we’ll get a glimpse of the multiverse in this show.

Then we would better understand space and time and perhaps finally decide if time travel is a realistic possibility, and if so, how to achieve it.

Physicists are far from agreeing over whether time travel of this sort is possible.

Underneath its comic-book action and time-travel shenanigans, X-Men: Days of Future Past questions the use of military robots.

The title of his forthcoming book is Rush Revere and the Brave Pilgrims: Time Travel Adventures with Exceptional Americans.

But somehow in the long run, truth and time travel the same road.

As soon as I entered West 100th Street, I understood that this experience was going to involve time travel.

Nine years ago he dazzled audiences with his $7,000 time-travel flick ‘Primer.’

His story is plausible, logical, once you grant the basic premise that time travel is an actuality.

It seems absurd that parts of the same train can at any time travel in opposite directions, but such is the case.

During this journey we recovered something of the conditions of old-time travel.

Even for younger Destinyworkers, time travel at best was an exhausting business.

We may dimly perceive something of the trials and hardships of old-time travel in that expression harbouring.

All content related to 'time travel'

Definitions of 'time travel', examples of 'time travel'  in a sentence, translations of 'time travel'.

Quick word challenge

Quiz Review

Score: 0 / 5

Image

Wordle Helper

Tile

Scrabble Tools

Image that reads Space Place and links to spaceplace.nasa.gov.

Is Time Travel Possible?

We all travel in time! We travel one year in time between birthdays, for example. And we are all traveling in time at approximately the same speed: 1 second per second.

We typically experience time at one second per second. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

NASA's space telescopes also give us a way to look back in time. Telescopes help us see stars and galaxies that are very far away . It takes a long time for the light from faraway galaxies to reach us. So, when we look into the sky with a telescope, we are seeing what those stars and galaxies looked like a very long time ago.

However, when we think of the phrase "time travel," we are usually thinking of traveling faster than 1 second per second. That kind of time travel sounds like something you'd only see in movies or science fiction books. Could it be real? Science says yes!

Image of galaxies, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope.

This image from the Hubble Space Telescope shows galaxies that are very far away as they existed a very long time ago. Credit: NASA, ESA and R. Thompson (Univ. Arizona)

How do we know that time travel is possible?

More than 100 years ago, a famous scientist named Albert Einstein came up with an idea about how time works. He called it relativity. This theory says that time and space are linked together. Einstein also said our universe has a speed limit: nothing can travel faster than the speed of light (186,000 miles per second).

Einstein's theory of relativity says that space and time are linked together. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

What does this mean for time travel? Well, according to this theory, the faster you travel, the slower you experience time. Scientists have done some experiments to show that this is true.

For example, there was an experiment that used two clocks set to the exact same time. One clock stayed on Earth, while the other flew in an airplane (going in the same direction Earth rotates).

After the airplane flew around the world, scientists compared the two clocks. The clock on the fast-moving airplane was slightly behind the clock on the ground. So, the clock on the airplane was traveling slightly slower in time than 1 second per second.

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Can we use time travel in everyday life?

We can't use a time machine to travel hundreds of years into the past or future. That kind of time travel only happens in books and movies. But the math of time travel does affect the things we use every day.

For example, we use GPS satellites to help us figure out how to get to new places. (Check out our video about how GPS satellites work .) NASA scientists also use a high-accuracy version of GPS to keep track of where satellites are in space. But did you know that GPS relies on time-travel calculations to help you get around town?

GPS satellites orbit around Earth very quickly at about 8,700 miles (14,000 kilometers) per hour. This slows down GPS satellite clocks by a small fraction of a second (similar to the airplane example above).

Illustration of GPS satellites orbiting around Earth

GPS satellites orbit around Earth at about 8,700 miles (14,000 kilometers) per hour. Credit: GPS.gov

However, the satellites are also orbiting Earth about 12,550 miles (20,200 km) above the surface. This actually speeds up GPS satellite clocks by a slighter larger fraction of a second.

Here's how: Einstein's theory also says that gravity curves space and time, causing the passage of time to slow down. High up where the satellites orbit, Earth's gravity is much weaker. This causes the clocks on GPS satellites to run faster than clocks on the ground.

The combined result is that the clocks on GPS satellites experience time at a rate slightly faster than 1 second per second. Luckily, scientists can use math to correct these differences in time.

Illustration of a hand holding a phone with a maps application active.

If scientists didn't correct the GPS clocks, there would be big problems. GPS satellites wouldn't be able to correctly calculate their position or yours. The errors would add up to a few miles each day, which is a big deal. GPS maps might think your home is nowhere near where it actually is!

In Summary:

Yes, time travel is indeed a real thing. But it's not quite what you've probably seen in the movies. Under certain conditions, it is possible to experience time passing at a different rate than 1 second per second. And there are important reasons why we need to understand this real-world form of time travel.

If you liked this, you may like:

Illustration of a game controller that links to the Space Place Games menu.

time travel definition synonym

Meaning of "time travel" in the English dictionary

Pronunciation of time travel, grammatical category of time travel, what does time travel mean in english, time travel, definition of time travel in the english dictionary.

The definition of time travel in the dictionary is travel through time into the past or the future.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH TIME TRAVEL

Words that begin like time travel, words that end like time travel, synonyms and antonyms of time travel in the english dictionary of synonyms, words relating to «time travel», translation of «time travel» into 25 languages.

online translator

TRANSLATION OF TIME TRAVEL

Translator english - chinese, translator english - spanish, translator english - hindi, translator english - arabic, translator english - russian, translator english - portuguese, translator english - bengali, translator english - french, translator english - malay, translator english - german, translator english - japanese, translator english - korean, translator english - javanese, translator english - vietnamese, translator english - tamil, translator english - marathi, translator english - turkish, translator english - italian, translator english - polish, translator english - ukrainian, translator english - romanian, translator english - greek, translator english - afrikaans, translator english - swedish, translator english - norwegian, trends of use of time travel, tendencies of use of the term «time travel».

Trends

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «TIME TRAVEL» OVER TIME

Examples of use in the english literature, quotes and news about time travel, 10 quotes with «time travel», 10 english books relating to «time travel», 10 news items which include the term «time travel».

Synonyms of travel

  • as in to trek
  • as in to traverse
  • as in to fly
  • as in to associate
  • More from M-W
  • To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In

Thesaurus Definition of travel

 (Entry 1 of 2)

Synonyms & Similar Words

  • peregrinate
  • road - trip
  • knock (about)
  • perambulate
  • pass (over)
  • cut (across)
  • proceed (along)
  • get a move on
  • make tracks
  • shake a leg
  • hotfoot (it)
  • fast - forward

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

  • hang (around or out)
  • slow (down or up)
  • collaborate
  • take up with
  • keep company (with)
  • rub shoulders (with)
  • fall in with
  • pal (around)
  • rub elbows (with)
  • mess around
  • be friends with
  • interrelate
  • confederate
  • cold - shoulder

Thesaurus Definition of travel  (Entry 2 of 2)

  • peregrination
  • commutation

Articles Related to travel

woman looking at departures board

Is it ‘traveling’ or...

Is it ‘traveling’ or ‘travelling’?

A tale of two variants

noah-webster

Noah Webster's Spelling Wins and Fails

Some of his biggest successes and defeats

image122527339

8 Ways to Get Away From It All

Whether it's a jaunt or a junket, remember sunblock.

Thesaurus Entries Near travel

Cite this entry.

“Travel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/travel. Accessed 26 May. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on travel

Nglish: Translation of travel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of travel for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about travel

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries.  Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the day.

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

More commonly misspelled words, your vs. you're: how to use them correctly, every letter is silent, sometimes: a-z list of examples, more commonly mispronounced words, how to use em dashes (—), en dashes (–) , and hyphens (-), popular in wordplay, the words of the week - may 24, flower etymologies for your spring garden, birds say the darndest things, a great big list of bread words, 10 scrabble words without any vowels, games & quizzes.

Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.

  • Daily Crossword
  • Word Puzzle
  • Word Finder
  • Word of the Day
  • Synonym of the Day
  • Word of the Year
  • Language stories
  • All featured
  • Gender and sexuality
  • All pop culture
  • Writing hub
  • Grammar essentials
  • Commonly confused
  • All writing tips
  • Pop culture
  • Writing tips

Advertisement

noun as in journey

Strongest matches

  • sightseeing

Strong matches

  • commutation
  • peregrination

Weak matches

  • globetrotting

verb as in journey on a trip or tour

  • cover ground
  • get through
  • go into orbit
  • knock around
  • make a journey
  • make one's way
  • take a boat
  • take a plane
  • take a train
  • take a trip

Discover More

Example sentences.

You just travel light with carry-on luggage, go to cities that you love, and get to hang out with all your friends.

He did travel to China and Australia while the story was unfolding.

In doing so he exposed the failure of other airlines in the region to see the huge pent-up demand for cheap travel.

“The tribe is really made of people who put travel as a priority in their entire lifestyle,” says Evita.

Brands like Lo & Sons and Delsey are already tapping Travel Noire to connect with black travelers.

One thing was certain: Grandfather Mole could travel much faster through the water than he could underground.

The mothers know better than any one else how hard a way the little girl will have to travel through life.

He could lie in bed and string himself tales of travel and adventure while Harry was downstairs.

Under ordinary circumstances these men can travel with their burden from twenty to thirty miles a day.

The rules regulating travel on highways in this country are called, "the law of the road."

Related Words

Words related to travel are not direct synonyms, but are associated with the word travel . Browse related words to learn more about word associations.

verb as in tour

verb as in flow

  • mill around
  • move around

noun as in systems of information exchange

  • information technology
  • public relations
  • telecommunications

verb as in make good time

  • make headway
  • make strides

verb as in sail

  • keep steady pace
  • push off/push on
  • wander about

Viewing 5 / 93 related words

On this page you'll find 177 synonyms, antonyms, and words related to travel, such as: driving, excursion, flying, movement, navigation, and ride.

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.

Cambridge Dictionary

  • Cambridge Dictionary +Plus

Synonyms and antonyms of travel in English

{{randomImageQuizHook.quizId}}

Word of the Day

on the road

If a vehicle is on the road, it is working as it should and can be legally used.

Apples and oranges (Talking about differences, Part 2)

Apples and oranges (Talking about differences, Part 2)

Learn more with +Plus

  • Recent and Recommended {{#preferredDictionaries}} {{name}} {{/preferredDictionaries}}
  • Definitions Clear explanations of natural written and spoken English English Learner’s Dictionary Essential British English Essential American English
  • Grammar and thesaurus Usage explanations of natural written and spoken English Grammar Thesaurus
  • Pronunciation British and American pronunciations with audio English Pronunciation
  • English–Chinese (Simplified) Chinese (Simplified)–English
  • English–Chinese (Traditional) Chinese (Traditional)–English
  • English–Dutch Dutch–English
  • English–French French–English
  • English–German German–English
  • English–Indonesian Indonesian–English
  • English–Italian Italian–English
  • English–Japanese Japanese–English
  • English–Norwegian Norwegian–English
  • English–Polish Polish–English
  • English–Portuguese Portuguese–English
  • English–Spanish Spanish–English
  • English–Swedish Swedish–English
  • Dictionary +Plus Word Lists

To add ${headword} to a word list please sign up or log in.

Add ${headword} to one of your lists below, or create a new one.

{{message}}

Something went wrong.

There was a problem sending your report.

COMMENTS

  1. Time Travel synonyms

    Synonyms for Time Travel (other words and phrases for Time Travel). Synonyms for Time travel. 372 other terms for time travel- words and phrases with similar meaning. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. words. phrases. idioms. Parts of speech. nouns. Tags. time. travel. movement.

  2. TIME TRAVEL in Thesaurus: 100+ Synonyms & Antonyms for TIME TRAVEL

    take a leap into the past. jump back and forth in time. moving back in time. moving forward in time. time traveler. time traveling. time traveller. travel back in time. travel in time.

  3. Time travel

    Time travel is the hypothetical activity of traveling into the past or future. Time travel is a widely recognized concept in philosophy and fiction, particularly science fiction. In fiction, time travel is typically achieved through the use of a hypothetical device known as a time machine.

  4. TIME TRAVEL

    TIME TRAVEL definition: 1. the idea of travelling into the past or the future 2. the idea of traveling into the past or the…. Learn more.

  5. What is another word for "time travel"?

    Need synonyms for time travel? Here's a list of similar words from our thesaurus that you can use instead. Noun. The act of traveling or moving between certain points in time. transtemporal travel. going back in time. going forward in time. going to the future. going to the past.

  6. TIME TRAVEL

    TIME TRAVEL meaning: 1. the idea of travelling into the past or the future 2. the idea of traveling into the past or the…. Learn more.

  7. TIME TRAVEL Definition & Meaning

    Time travel definition: hypothetical transport through time into the past or the future.. See examples of TIME TRAVEL used in a sentence.

  8. TIME-TRAVEL in Thesaurus: 27 Synonyms & Antonyms for TIME-TRAVEL

    What's the definition of Time-travel in thesaurus? Most related words/phrases with sentence examples define Time-travel meaning and usage. Thesaurus for Time-travel. Related terms for time-travel- synonyms, antonyms and sentences with time-travel. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions.

  9. Time-travel Synonyms and Antonyms

    If you decide on a time travel movie that you want to watch, there are a lot of different places where you can find the specific movie that you want. Find all the synonyms, antonyms, and related words for TIME-TRAVEL using the thesaurus at YourDictionary.com.

  10. TIME TRAVEL definition and meaning

    Science fiction travel through time into the past or the future.... Click for English pronunciations, examples sentences, video.

  11. Time Travel Definition & Meaning

    Time Travel definition: A journeying into the past or the future, as in science fiction.

  12. TIME TRAVEL definition in American English

    time-travel (ˈtime-ˌtravel) adjective , verb intransitive Word forms: ˈtime-ˌtraveled or ˈtime-ˌtravelled , ˈtime-ˈtraveling or ˈtime-ˌtravelling You may also like

  13. 17 Synonyms for Time Travel related to Time

    Synonyms for Time Travel (related to time). Synonyms for Time travel #time - 17. Lists. synonyms. antonyms. definitions. sentences. thesaurus. Tags. time. travel. movement. suggest new. go back in time # movement. time dilation # period. closed timelike curves # period. relativity of time # period. understanding time

  14. Time Travel

    Time Travel. Time travel is commonly defined with David Lewis' definition: An object time travels if and only if the difference between its departure and arrival times as measured in the surrounding world does not equal the duration of the journey undergone by the object. For example, Jane is a time traveler if she travels away from home in ...

  15. TIME TRAVEL

    All you need to know about "TIME TRAVEL" in one place: definitions, pronunciations, synonyms, grammar insights, collocations, examples, and translations.

  16. Is Time Travel Possible?

    In Summary: Yes, time travel is indeed a real thing. But it's not quite what you've probably seen in the movies. Under certain conditions, it is possible to experience time passing at a different rate than 1 second per second. And there are important reasons why we need to understand this real-world form of time travel.

  17. time travel

    time travel - WordReference thesaurus: synonyms, discussion and more. All Free.

  18. TIME TRAVEL

    Time travel. Time travel is the concept of moving between different points in time in a manner analogous to moving between different points in space, generally using a theoretical invention known as a "time machine". Time travel is a recognized concept in philosophy and fiction, but has a very limited support in real world physics, usually only ...

  19. Time Traveler by Merriam-Webster

    Time Traveler by Merriam-Webster: Search Words by First Known Use Date. When was a word first used in print? You may be surprised! Enter a date below to see the words first recorded on that year. To learn more about First Known Use dates, click here. Select a year. When was a word first used in print? You may be surprised!

  20. TIME TRAVELER in Thesaurus: 80 Synonyms & Antonyms for TIME TRAVELER

    What's the definition of Time traveler in thesaurus? Most related words/phrases with sentence examples define Time traveler meaning and usage. ... time travel. time traveling. time traveller. travel in time. travel through time. back through time. backdater. from future. go back in time. into time.

  21. TRAVEL Synonyms: 237 Similar and Opposite Words

    Synonyms for TRAVEL: trek, journey, trip, tour, voyage, roam, wander, pilgrimage; Antonyms of TRAVEL: crawl, creep, drag, hang (around or out), poke, linger, lag, loiter

  22. 95 Synonyms & Antonyms for TRAVEL

    Find 95 different ways to say TRAVEL, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

  23. TRAVEL

    TRAVEL - Synonyms, related words and examples | Cambridge English Thesaurus