English

Alternative forms

prime-time, primetime

Noun

prime time ‎(uncountable)

1. (obsolete) Spring.
2. (obsolete) A new period or time of youthfulness; the beginning of something.
3. (television, radio) The block of programming on television during the middle of the evening, usually between 19:00 and 23:00
4. (figuratively) Maturity; the state at which a person or product will be accepted by the mainstream.
   • 2000, Ira Brodsky, Network World, page 18

     It took years longer than proponents had hoped, but wireless data is ready for prime time.

   • 2005, Leanna Stiefel, Measuring School Performance and Efficiency: Implications for Practice and Research, Eye On Education (ISBN 9781596670068), page 13

     Can these measures be regarded as useful, promising, or not ready for prime time? We focus only on the utility of these measures for use by policymakers.

   • 2007, John E. Richardson, Annual Editions: Marketing 08/09 (ISBN 9780073369464)

     Now, as more and more businesses re-orient themselves to serve the consumer, ethnography has entered prime time.

   • 2008, J. Richard Kuzmyak, Forecasting Metropolitan Commercial and Freight Travel, Transportation Research Board (ISBN 9780309098144), page 3

     And as with commodity-based models, tour-based models have also not yet reached prime time.

Translations

Adjective

prime time ‎(not comparable)

1. (television, radio) Showing during prime time.

Derived terms

• ready for prime time

Translations

French

Etymology

From English prime time.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /pʁajm tajm/

Noun

prime time m ‎(countable and uncountable, plural prime times)

1. (usually uncountable) prime time
2. (Canada, countable) type of cigarillo

Synonyms

• première partie de soirée