Timeline/time line/time-line

[A keen learner]

Good evening, teachers!

Is it possible to use timeline/time line in British and American English interchangeably? There are some dictionaries that don't explain their usage, and the Cambridge and Oxford online dictionaries don't even mention time line.

Although I have found them both on www.thefreedictionary.com, www.dictionary.com, www.merriam-webster.com, and www.wordreference.com, the only one that makes the distinction between the American and British English versions is the following:

Timeline definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

Timeline definition: A timeline is a visual representation of a sequence of events, especially historical... | Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples

www.collinsdictionary.com

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/time-line

To be honest, I'm confused after reading the following article because its author clearly indicates that "timeline" is always one word:

Timeline or Time line? (Helpful Examples)

Before referring to a “timeline,” in any case, you need to make sure you know whether it’s one or two words. It might seem plausible to write as two words, but this article will help you understand all the rules that surround it. Timeline vs. Time line “Timeline” is always one word. There are no...

grammarhow.com

In addition, if you click on this link, you will see that Wordreference also uses a hyphen to join "time" and "line"= time-line:

time-line - English-Spanish Dictionary - WordReference.com

time-line - Translation to Spanish, pronunciation, and forum discussions

www.wordreference.com

 

[Tarheel]

I would stick with one word.

 

[warr40]

I would recommend always using “timeline.” There is definitely not a difference between British and American English in this point.

As a native English speaker and teacher, I have never seen “time line” used or recommend except in one random article by the MLA that wasn’t even really about that. Brittanica, Oxford, Harvard, and other major authorities use “timeline.”

Hyphenated is not the way to go. WordReference is one of the best language learning resources on the internet, but it is made by individuals, not an organization with long established credentials. It sometimes does a better job of communicating actual usage than more formal sources do, but when looking for technically correct use it is not always the best.

I also don’t rate Collins too highly. In my experience, they are quicker to include definitions that are slang or merely popular ways of being incorrect.


I hope that was helpful!