Military Time & Time Terminology Glossary
Comprehensive glossary of military time, 24-hour clock terminology, time zones, and related concepts. Perfect for students, professionals, and anyone learning time conversion systems.
24-Hour Clock
A timekeeping system that runs from 00:00 to 23:59, eliminating the need for AM/PM designations. Also known as military time in civilian contexts.
- 14:30 instead of 2:30 PM
- 00:00 instead of 12:00 AM
Alpha Time
Military time zone designation for UTC+1 (Central European Time). Part of the NATO phonetic alphabet time zone system.
- Used in Central Europe
- 1 hour ahead of UTC
Bravo Time
Military time zone designation for UTC+2 (Eastern European Time).
- Used in Eastern Europe
- 2 hours ahead of UTC
Charlie Time
Military time zone designation for UTC+3.
- Used in parts of Russia and Africa
- 3 hours ahead of UTC
Delta Time
Military time zone designation for UTC+4.
- Used in parts of Russia and Middle East
- 4 hours ahead of UTC
Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)
The mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. Often used interchangeably with UTC, though technically slightly different.
- London time in winter
- Reference point for world time zones
HHMM Format
The standard four-digit format for military time, where HH represents hours (00-23) and MM represents minutes (00-59).
- 1430 for 2:30 PM
- 0630 for 6:30 AM
- 2359 for 11:59 PM
Hours
In military time, the first two digits representing the hour of the day from 00 (midnight) to 23 (11 PM).
- 00 = midnight
- 12 = noon
- 23 = 11 PM
Hundred Hours
Military pronunciation for times ending in 00 minutes.
- 0800 = 'zero eight hundred'
- 1500 = 'fifteen hundred'
Juliet Time
Military time zone designation for local time, meaning the time zone where the operation is taking place.
- Whatever local time zone you're in
- Changes based on location
Lima Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-11.
- Used in parts of Pacific
- 11 hours behind UTC
Military Time
Common civilian term for the 24-hour clock system used by military forces worldwide.
- 1800 hours for 6:00 PM
- 0030 hours for 12:30 AM
Minutes
In military time, the last two digits representing the minutes past the hour (00-59).
- 15 = quarter past
- 30 = half past
- 45 = quarter to next hour
Noon
12:00 PM in standard time, expressed as 1200 hours in military time.
- 1200 hours
- Twelve hundred hours
Oscar Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-2.
- Used in mid-Atlantic
- 2 hours behind UTC
Papa Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-3.
- Used in parts of South America
- 3 hours behind UTC
Quebec Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-4 (Atlantic Standard Time).
- Atlantic Canada
- 4 hours behind UTC
Romeo Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-5 (Eastern Standard Time).
- US East Coast
- 5 hours behind UTC
Sierra Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-6 (Central Standard Time).
- US Central time
- 6 hours behind UTC
Standard Time
The conventional 12-hour time format using AM and PM designations.
- 2:30 PM
- 11:45 AM
- 12:00 AM (midnight)
Tango Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-7 (Mountain Standard Time).
- US Mountain time
- 7 hours behind UTC
Uniform Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-8 (Pacific Standard Time).
- US West Coast
- 8 hours behind UTC
Universal Coordinated Time (UTC)
The primary time standard by which the world regulates clocks and time. Successor to Greenwich Mean Time.
- Reference for all time zones
- Same as Zulu time
Victor Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-9 (Alaska Standard Time).
- Alaska time
- 9 hours behind UTC
Whiskey Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-10 (Hawaii-Aleutian Standard Time).
- Hawaii time
- 10 hours behind UTC
X-ray Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-11.
- Parts of Pacific
- 11 hours behind UTC
Yankee Time
Military time zone designation for UTC-12.
- International Date Line West
- 12 hours behind UTC
Zero Hour
Military term for midnight (0000 hours), marking the start of a new day.
- Start of new operational day
- 0000 on the 24-hour clock
Zulu Time
Military and aviation term for Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Used as the standard reference time for global operations.
- Flight plans use Zulu time
- International coordination
Leading Zero
The zero placed before single-digit hours in military time format to maintain the four-digit HHMM format.
- 0800 not 800
- 0300 not 300
- 0030 not 30
Time Hack
Military term for synchronizing watches or clocks to ensure all personnel have the exact same time.
- 'Time hack at 1400'
- Coordinating mission timing
H-Hour
Military term for the specific hour when an operation begins. Similar to D-Day for dates.
- 'H-Hour is 0600'
- Operation start time
24/7
Common abbreviation meaning 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - continuous operation.
- 24/7 security
- Round-the-clock service
Graveyard Shift
Work shift that typically runs from late night to early morning, often 2300-0700 or similar hours.
- 2300-0700 shift
- Overnight security
Day Shift
Standard daytime work shift, typically running from early morning to late afternoon.
- 0700-1500
- 0800-1600
- Morning to afternoon
Swing Shift
Work shift that covers the transition from day to night, typically afternoon to late evening.
- 1500-2300
- Afternoon to night
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About This Glossary
- •Comprehensive coverage of time-related terminology
- •Military, aviation, and civilian time concepts
- •NATO phonetic alphabet time zones included
- •Examples and aliases for better understanding
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