# response time

> English word · Noun

## Definitions
1. The period of time between the application of a stimulus and the associated response from a cell or tissue.
2. The time taken for a person (or human-controlled system) to respond to a request.
3. The time taken for the display of an instrument to move to a new value following a step change.
4. The period of time between a request for a service and the associated response; typically the request is caused by a user at a terminal hitting the return key, and the response is displayed on a screen.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/response-time