Prime time or primetime?
prime time is a noun meaning “The block of programming on television during the middle of the evening…”; primetime is an adjective meaning “Alternative form of prime time”. prime time is written as two words and primetime as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between prime time and primetime?
| prime time | primetime | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, adjective | adjective |
| Meaning | The block of programming on television during the middle of the evening, usually between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm The busiest or most important period Showing or broadcasting during prime time | Alternative form of prime time |
| Example | The station is moving the new comedy to a prime time slot next month | none recorded |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | not recorded |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | 1.6 times per million words |
Sources: prime time and primetime in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of prime time and primetime
prime time
- 1
The block of programming on television during the middle of the evening, usually between 7:00 pm and 11:00 pm
The station is moving the new comedy to a prime time slot next month
- 2
Showing or broadcasting during prime time
- 3
Alternative spelling of prime time
- 4
The busiest or most important period
Summer is prime time for road construction
- 5
Maturity; the state at which a person or product will be accepted by the mainstream
primetime
- 1
Alternative form of prime time
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, prime time or primetime?
prime time is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; primetime 1.6 times per million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).