ENGLISH
REFERENCE

chronology

n. C / U
C1 Advanced US //kɹəˈnɑɫədʒi// UK //kɹənˈɒlədʒi// chronol·o·gy

n. the order in which a series of events happened. You use this to explain what came first, second, and last in a story or historical report.

n. the arrangement of events or dates in the order of their occurrence. Often used to describe the structural timeline of a narrative or historical account.


SIMPLE

The detective established a clear chronology of the crime.

CONTEXTUAL

The historian spent years verifying the chronology of the ancient dynasty to ensure the timeline was accurate.

COMPLEX

By examining the layers of sediment, the researchers were able to reconstruct the chronology of the volcanic eruptions that shaped the island's geography over several millennia.

Origin

From chrono- (“relating to time”) + -logy (“study of, account of”), after New Latin chronologia from Ancient Greek χρόνος (khrónos, “time”) + λόγος (lógos, “reason, explanation”). Literally "time reason" in Modern Greek.

Usage

Uncountable when referring to the science of arranging time; countable when referring to a specific list or timeline of events.

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