time-share: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C1Formal / Business / Technical
Quick answer
What does “time-share” mean?
An arrangement where multiple people own or have the right to use a property (typically a holiday home) for specific, alternating periods each year.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An arrangement where multiple people own or have the right to use a property (typically a holiday home) for specific, alternating periods each year.
A system for sharing access to a resource, such as computing power or a service, by dividing its available time among multiple users.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Hyphenation and usage are largely identical. The vacation property sense is dominant in both. The computing sense is archaic in both but may appear in historical technical contexts.
Connotations
In both varieties, the vacation property sense can have slightly negative connotations related to high-pressure sales tactics and complex contracts.
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in American English due to the larger market for vacation property timeshares.
Grammar
How to Use “time-share” in a Sentence
to time-share [a property/villa]to own [a time-share] in [location]to have a time-share at [resort]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “time-share” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The family decided to time-share the holiday cottage with their relatives.
- We can time-share the conference facility between the two departments.
American English
- They time-share a condo in Miami Beach with another couple.
- The system was designed to time-share processor resources efficiently.
adverb
British English
- This resource cannot be used time-share; it requires dedicated access.
American English
- The mainframe operated time-share, serving dozens of terminals.
adjective
British English
- They were offered a time-share apartment on the Costa del Sol.
- He got caught in a complex time-share agreement.
American English
- They attended a timeshare presentation to get free show tickets.
- The resort is full of timeshare units.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Referring to the vacation property industry, e.g., 'The company specialises in time-share management and resales.'
Academic
Rare. Might appear in historical discussions of computing architecture, e.g., 'Early mainframes operated on a time-share principle.'
Everyday
Almost exclusively about holiday properties, e.g., 'My parents have a time-share in Spain they use every summer.'
Technical
Historical computing: 'Time-share systems allowed multiple users to access a central computer simultaneously.'
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “time-share”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “time-share”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “time-share”
- Using 'time-share' as a verb for general sharing (e.g., 'Let's time-share the car' – unnatural). Confusing it with 'timeshare' (one word) – both forms exist, but hyphenated is often preferred in formal writing.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Renting is a short-term lease. A time-share usually involves a long-term financial commitment, often ownership of a specific week or points for many years, with annual fees.
Yes, but it is less common and specific. It means to arrange for the shared use of a property in alternating periods (e.g., 'They time-share a ski chalet'). It is not used for casually sharing everyday items.
The long-term financial obligation, including perpetually rising maintenance fees, difficulty in reselling (often at a significant loss), and inflexibility in changing your booked week or location.
Time-share typically refers to owning a specific week or points. Fractional ownership usually involves owning a larger share (e.g., 1/4 or 1/8) of the property's deed, often with more usage time and higher purchase cost, but potentially better resale value.
An arrangement where multiple people own or have the right to use a property (typically a holiday home) for specific, alternating periods each year.
Time-share is usually formal / business / technical in register.
Time-share: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪm ˌʃeə/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪm ˌʃɛr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[It's] a time-share trap (suggests a burdensome financial commitment).”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'share your TIME in a property' – you don't own it all the time, just your allocated slice of the annual calendar.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A COMMODITY (that can be divided and owned in slices). PROPERTY IS A PIE (to be cut into temporal pieces).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is the term 'time-share' considered largely historical or archaic?