Is a time trial a race?

Yes, but it's a race against the clock. Competitors start separately and the fastest time wins, rather than finishing ahead of others on the road/track.

Can 'time trial' be used as a verb?

Yes, in sports jargon (e.g., 'He will time-trial tomorrow'). In general contexts, it's more common to use 'do/ride/run a time trial'.

What's the difference between a time trial and a qualifying session?

A qualifying session often IS a time trial, but its purpose is to determine starting positions for a later race. A pure time trial is the main competitive event itself.

Are time trials only for individuals?

No, there are also team time trials, where a small group races together against the clock, with the time taken on one member (often the 3rd or 4th finisher) counting.

Is “time trial” formal?

Time trial is usually specialist, journalistic, sports in register.

How do you pronounce “time trial”?

Time trial: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪm ˌtraɪəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪm ˌtraɪ(ə)l/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

time trial: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

UK/ˈtaɪm ˌtraɪəl/US/ˈtaɪm ˌtraɪ(ə)l/

specialist, journalistic, sports

My Flashcards

Quick answer

What does “time trial” mean?

A race or test in which participants compete individually to set the fastest time over a fixed distance or course, rather than racing directly against each other.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A race or test in which participants compete individually to set the fastest time over a fixed distance or course, rather than racing directly against each other.

A method of testing performance (especially in sports, computing, or product development) where the goal is to complete a task or course in the shortest possible time, measured precisely.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant lexical differences. The concept is identical in both varieties.

Connotations

Strongly associated with cycling and motorsport in both cultures. In the US, also strongly linked to individual swimming and track athletics events.

Frequency

Slightly higher frequency in UK media due to greater prominence of cycling (e.g., Tour de France prologue).

Grammar

How to Use “time trial” in a Sentence

to do a time trialto compete in a time trialto ride a time trialto run a time trialto hold a time trialthe time trial of something

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

individual time trialteam time trialprologue time trialcycling time trialqualifying time trialset a time trial

medium

hold a time trialwin the time trialtime trial stagetime trial biketime trial helmet

weak

fast time trialdifficult time trialfinal time trialimportant time trial

Examples

Examples of “time trial” in a Sentence

verb

British English

He will time-trial on the new course tomorrow.
The team spent the morning time-trialling.

American English

She's scheduled to time-trial this afternoon.
They time-trialed the new circuit.

adverb

British English

This bike is designed time-trial fast.
He rode time-trial style.

American English

She raced time-trial hard.
The car was set up time-trial tight.

adjective

British English

He is a time-trial specialist.
She broke the time-trial record.

American English

He set a new time-trial best.
It's a time-trial event.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Rare. Could be used metaphorically for a productivity test or deadline-driven project phase.

Academic

Used in sports science research to describe a specific experimental protocol for measuring athletic performance.

Everyday

Understood by sports fans. Not common in general casual conversation.

Technical

Standard term in cycling, motorsport, athletics, and swimming. Also in computing for benchmark tests.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “time trial”

Strong

race of truththe test

Neutral

individual racetimed racerace against the clock

Weak

qualifiertimed event

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “time trial”

mass-start racehead-to-head racegroup racehandicap race

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “time trial”

Using 'time trial' as a verb without a supporting verb (e.g., 'He will time trial' is less common than 'He will ride/do a time trial').
Confusing it with a simple 'practice run' where time is not the primary competitive focus.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: Yes, but it's a race against the clock. Competitors start separately and the fastest time wins, rather than finishing ahead of others on the road/track.
: Yes, in sports jargon (e.g., 'He will time-trial tomorrow'). In general contexts, it's more common to use 'do/ride/run a time trial'.
: A qualifying session often IS a time trial, but its purpose is to determine starting positions for a later race. A pure time trial is the main competitive event itself.
: No, there are also team time trials, where a small group races together against the clock, with the time taken on one member (often the 3rd or 4th finisher) counting.
: A race or test in which participants compete individually to set the fastest time over a fixed distance or course, rather than racing directly against each other.
: Time trial is usually specialist, journalistic, sports in register.
: Time trial: in British English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪm ˌtraɪəl/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈtaɪm ˌtraɪ(ə)l/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

“a race against the clock (related concept)”

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think TIME (the clock measures it) + TRIAL (a test). It's a trial by time.

Conceptual Metaphor

TIME IS AN OPPONENT (racing against the clock); PERFORMANCE IS A MEASURABLE QUANTITY.

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

In a , cyclists start at intervals and race alone against the clock.

Multiple Choice

In which sport is the term 'time trial' LEAST commonly used?