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Words with chron: time-related vocabulary

This list gathers words that share the root chron, from the Greek word for time. It suits students studying Greek and Latin roots, word-building units, or vocabulary before a science or history test. Use it to spot the shared root and guess meanings of unfamiliar words.

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Words with chron: time-related vocabulary

24 words
WordMeaningIn a sentenceSave
chronicadjectivePersisting for a long time or constantly recurring, especially describing an illness or problem.He has suffered from chronic back pain ever since the accident.
chroniclenounA written record of events arranged in the order in which they happened.The old chronicle described the town's founding and its early years of settlement.
chroniclernounA person who records events, especially historical ones, in the order in which they happened.Medieval chroniclers often mixed factual record-keeping with legend and rumor.
chronicledverbPast tense of "chronicle": recorded a series of events in detail, typically in the order they occurred.The historian chronicled the war in a series of detailed, carefully dated volumes.
chronologicaladjectiveArranged in the order in which events happened, from earliest to latest.The museum displayed the artifacts in chronological order, starting with the oldest tools first.
chronologicallyadverbArranged or discussed in the order that events actually occurred over time.The documentary presents the scandal chronologically, starting with the very first complaint.
chronologynounThe arrangement of events in the order they occurred, or a record showing that order.The book includes a chronology of major events leading up to the revolution.
chronometernounA highly precise instrument for measuring time, especially one used for navigation or scientific purposes.Sailors once relied on a marine chronometer to calculate their longitude at sea.
chronographnounA watch or instrument with an added stopwatch function for measuring short, precise intervals of time.He used the chronograph on his watch to time each lap of the race.
chronotypenounA person's natural tendency toward being more alert and active at a particular time of day.People with an early chronotype tend to wake up energized before sunrise.
chronobiologynounThe scientific study of biological rhythms, such as sleep cycles, and how living things respond to time.Chronobiology research helped explain why shift workers often struggle with disrupted sleep patterns.
chronotherapynounA medical treatment approach that times doses of light, medication, or activity to the body's natural rhythms.Chronotherapy uses timed light exposure to help reset the sleep cycles of people with insomnia.
synchronizeverbTo cause events, processes, or devices to occur or operate at the same time or rate.Please synchronize your watches so we all arrive at the meeting point at exactly noon.
synchronizedadjectiveMade to happen, move, or operate together at exactly the same time or rate.The synchronized traffic lights let cars travel through downtown without stopping at every intersection.
synchronizationnounThe process of making two or more things happen, operate, or move at the same time or rate.Careful synchronization of the video and audio tracks was needed before the film could be released.
synchronousadjectiveExisting, happening, or operating at the same time, or occurring in a fixed, coordinated sequence.The course offers synchronous classes with live discussion instead of only recorded lectures.
synchronynounThe state of happening, moving, or developing together at the same time or rate.The rowers moved in perfect synchrony, their oars entering the water at the same instant.
asynchronousadjectiveNot happening at the same time, or not requiring participants to respond or act simultaneously.The course used asynchronous discussion boards so students could post at any hour.
unsynchronizedadjectiveNot occurring, operating, or moving together at the same time or rate.The dancers' unsynchronized movements made the routine look sloppy and unrehearsed.
anachronismnounSomething placed in a time period where it does not belong, such as an object or idea.The wristwatch in the historical film was an obvious anachronism for a story set in 1600.
anachronisticadjectiveBelonging to or seeming to belong to a time period different from the one being shown.The wristwatch in the medieval film scene looked jarringly anachronistic to viewers.
isochronousadjectiveOccurring at equal time intervals, or taking the same amount of time regardless of conditions.The engineer designed an isochronous data stream so each packet arrived at fixed intervals.
diachronicadjectiveRelating to the way something, especially language, develops and changes across time.The course took a diachronic approach, tracing how English pronunciation shifted over centuries.
synchronicadjectiveRelating to something as it exists at one particular point in time, without regard to its history.A synchronic study of the dialect describes its grammar as spoken today, ignoring earlier forms.

What does the root chron mean

Chron comes from the Greek word chronos, meaning time. Once a learner recognizes this root, words like chronology, chronic, and synchronize become easier to decode, because each one carries some idea of time, order, or timing. Spotting the root also helps with related roots like tele, bio, and graph when they combine with chron, as in chronograph.

Frequently asked questions

What are some common chron words?

Common examples include chronic, chronicle, chronology, and synchronize, all of which relate to time in some way.