Phrase guide

on time

adj · prep_phrase · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

adj

Meaning 1

Punctual or according to schedule; at the planned time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • Unless our train's not on time, we'll be home at three.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

prep_phrase

Meaning 2

Punctually or according to the schedule.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • The train arrived on time for the first time this week.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

prep_phrase

Meaning 3

By installments, payments over a period of time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • They bought their dining-room furniture on time.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

prep_phrase

Meaning 4

By a player's running out of time.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: board-games, chess, games

Examples

  • Smith beat Jones on time.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

adverb

Meaning 5

at the expected time

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she always arrives on time

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Esperanto: akurata — punctual or according to schedule
  • French: à temps — punctual or according to schedule
  • Hungarian: pontos — punctual or according to schedule
  • Japanese: 時間通り (jikan-doori) — punctual or according to schedule
  • Polish: na czas — punctual or according to schedule
  • Russian: своевременный (svojevremennyj) — punctual or according to schedule
  • Spanish: a tiempo — punctual or according to schedule
  • Spanish: a punto — punctual or according to schedule
  • Spanish: a buen punto — punctual or according to schedule
  • Bashkir: ваҡытында (vaqıtında) — punctually
  • Bulgarian: навреме (navreme) — punctually
  • Catalan: a l'hora — punctually
  • Chinese Mandarin: 按時 /按时 (ànshí) — punctually
  • Chinese Mandarin: 準時 /准时 (zhǔnshí) — punctually
  • Dutch: op tijd — punctually
  • Dutch: stipt — punctually
  • Esperanto: akurate — punctually
  • Finnish: ajallaan — punctually
  • Finnish: ajassa — punctually
  • French: à l'heure — punctually
  • French: à temps — punctually
  • Galician: á hora — punctually
  • German: pünktlich — punctually
  • German: rechtzeitig — punctually
  • Greek: ακριβής (akrivís) — punctually
  • Hungarian: időben — punctually
  • Italian: in orario — punctually
  • Japanese: 時間通りに (jikandōri ni) — punctually
  • Latin: temporī — punctually
  • Latin: tempore — punctually
  • Macedonian: навре́мено (navrémeno) — punctually
  • Polish: na czas — punctually
  • Polish: o czasie — punctually
  • Polish: punktualnie — punctually
  • Portuguese: a tempo e horas — punctually
  • Romanian: la timp — punctually
  • Russian: во́время (vóvremja) — punctually
  • Serbo-Croatian: na vrijeme — punctually
  • Serbo-Croatian: pravovremeno — punctually
  • Slovene: pravočasno — punctually
  • Spanish: a tiempo — punctually
  • Swedish: i tid — punctually
  • Turkish: vaktinde — punctually
  • Turkish: zamanında — punctually
  • Ukrainian: вча́сно (včásno) — punctually
  • Welsh: ar amser — punctually
  • West Flemish: antydn — punctually
  • Yiddish: בײַ צײַטנס (bay tsaytns) — punctually
  • Finnish: vähittäismaksulla — by installments
  • German: nach und nach — by installments
  • Finnish: ajalla — by running out of time
  • Polish: na czas — by running out of time
  • Swedish: på tid — by running out of time