Meaning & use
turnaround time
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable or uncountablebusiness
The amount of time between receiving a request or order and finishing it or delivering the result.
Grammar: Often singular with the: the turnaround time is two days; also possible as a fast turnaround time.
Patterns
- a turnaround time of something
- the turnaround time for something
The print shop promises a turnaround time of 24 hours.
A quick turnaround time matters when customers want answers the same day.
What is the usual turnaround time for a passport application?
nouncountable or uncountabletechnical
The time a vehicle, plane or ship spends at a stop between arriving and leaving again ready for its next trip.
Grammar: Usually used with the: the turnaround time at the gate is short.
Patterns
- turnaround time at something
Budget airlines keep their turnaround time at airports as short as possible.
The turnaround time for a cargo ship in port can be several days.
Cleaning crews have only twenty minutes of turnaround time between flights.
Word forms
| plural | turnaround times |
|---|
Common combinations
- quick turnaround time
- The lab offers a quick turnaround time on blood tests.
- average turnaround time
- The average turnaround time for a refund is five days.
- reduce turnaround time
- New software helped the team reduce turnaround time.
- estimated turnaround time
- The estimated turnaround time is listed on the order form.
- tight turnaround time
- We worked all night to meet the tight turnaround time.
Synonyms and how they differ
- processing time
- Processing time covers only the time spent handling a request, while turnaround time counts from request to finished result.
- lead time
- Lead time is the delay before something begins or arrives, often in manufacturing, whereas turnaround time stresses the complete job.
- response time
- Response time is how long it takes to reply, which may be only the first step, unlike turnaround time.
- delivery time
- Delivery time is limited to getting something to the customer, but turnaround time can include the work done first.
Word family
- turnaround noun
- the time or process of finishing a job; also a reversal in fortune
- turn around verb
- to complete a job or reverse a situation
- turnover noun
- total sales, or the rate at which workers leave and are replaced
Commonly confused: turnaround time or turnover?
turnaround time vs turnover
Turnover means sales volume or staff leaving, not the time needed to complete a task.
Practice
The tailor advertises a fast ___, with most repairs finished in two days.
Choose one answer.
Turnaround time means how long a job takes from order to completion. Turnover means sales or staff changes, turnout means attendance, and a turning point is a moment of change.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “turnaround time”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.