Definition

1. Noun:
   • Coordinated Universal Time (UTC): The primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. It is a modern successor to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and is maintained with the addition of leap seconds to account for irregularities in Earth's rotation.

Usage

• Coordinated Universal Time is used globally in technical, scientific, and international contexts to avoid confusion between different time zones. It is the basis for civil time worldwide.
  • All flight schedules are listed in Coordinated Universal Time.
  • The server logs are timestamped using Coordinated Universal Time.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The conference call is scheduled for 14:00 Coordinated Universal Time.
  • Scientists synchronize their observations to Coordinated Universal Time.

Advanced Usage

• "UTC" as an abbreviation: "Coordinated Universal Time" is almost universally abbreviated as UTC. This abbreviation is a compromise between the English "CUT" and the French "TUC" (Temps Universel Coordonné).
  • Please set your system clock to UTC.
• "Zulu time": In military and aviation contexts, UTC is often referred to as "Zulu time," using the phonetic alphabet letter 'Z' for zero offset.
  • The operation commences at 0600 Zulu (UTC).

Variants and Related Words

• GMT (Greenwich Mean Time): Often used interchangeably with UTC in casual contexts, though technically GMT is a time zone while UTC is a time standard. UTC is more precise.
• Leap second: An adjustment of one second occasionally added to UTC to keep it aligned with the Earth's slowing rotation.

Synonyms

• World time
• Universal Time (UT1): A related astronomical time standard from which UTC is derived.

Related Phrases

• "UTC offset": The difference in hours and minutes from Coordinated Universal Time for a specific location or time zone.
  • Japan Standard Time has a UTC offset of +9:00.

Noun

1. Greenwich Mean Time updated with leap seconds