turnaround time
B2 (Upper Intermediate) - Common in professional, technical, and business contexts.Formal to neutral. Predominantly used in business, logistics, IT, manufacturing, and service industry discourse.
Definition
Meaning
The total time taken to complete a process or task from initiation to completion, ready for the next step.
The period required for a system, service, or organization to respond to a request or complete a defined cycle of work. In business and computing contexts, it often denotes efficiency and responsiveness.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Often a key performance indicator (KPI). Can be literal (e.g., repairing a car) or abstract (e.g., responding to an email). Emphasizes the elapsed time of a closed cycle.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning. 'Turnaround' is occasionally hyphenated as 'turn-around' in older UK texts, but the single word form is now standard in both regions.
Connotations
Both varieties strongly associate the term with efficiency metrics, deadlines, and operational performance.
Frequency
Equally common in both professional contexts. Slightly more frequent in American corporate jargon.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
The turnaround time for [NOUN PHRASE] is [TIME PERIOD].We need a [ADJECTIVE] turnaround time on [NOUN PHRASE].to have a turnaround time of [TIME PERIOD]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “To turn something around quickly.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Our target turnaround time for customer queries is under two hours.
Academic
The study measured the turnaround time between sample submission and result publication.
Everyday
The dry cleaner promises a same-day turnaround time for suits.
Technical
The server's disk I/O turnaround time directly impacts application performance.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The lab aims to turnaround results within 48 hours.
American English
- The team can turnaround the analysis by tomorrow.
adverb
British English
- The parts were shipped turnaround quick.
American English
- They work turnaround fast.
adjective
British English
- We offer a same-day turnaround service.
American English
- The fast-turnaround report is ready.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The pizza delivery has a good turnaround time.
- What is the usual turnaround time for a passport application?
- Improving our manufacturing turnaround time has increased customer satisfaction.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a plane at a gate: the TURNAROUND TIME is how long it takes to unload, clean, refuel, and reload it before it can take off again.
Conceptual Metaphor
TIME IS A CYCLE / TIME IS A RESOURCE. The process is conceptualized as a circular journey (turn-around) whose duration is a measurable commodity.
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation like 'время разворота'. Common equivalents are 'время выполнения', 'срок выполнения', or 'время обработки'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'turnover time' (which relates to rate of replacement) interchangeably.
- Confusing with 'response time' (which is only the time to initial acknowledgment).
- Incorrect pluralization: 'turnarounds time' instead of 'turnaround times'.
Practice
Quiz
In which scenario is 'turnaround time' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. A due date is a fixed point in time by which something must be completed. Turnaround time is the duration or length of the process itself.
It is typically used for processes, tasks, or systems, not for a person's performance cycle. You would not say 'his meeting preparation turnaround time'.
Lead time often includes waiting or queueing time before the process starts. Turnaround time usually measures the active processing duration from start to finish.
The plural is 'turnaround times'. For example: 'The turnaround times for different services vary.'