---
name: "time"
section: "3tcl"
platform: "linux"
package: "tcl8.6-doc"
version: "8.6.16+dfsg-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/time/3tcl"
---

# time(3tcl)

Time the execution of a script

```

```

## NAME

time - Time the execution of a script

## SYNOPSIS

**time** *script* ?*count*?

```

```

## DESCRIPTION

This command will call the Tcl interpreter *count* times to evaluate *script* (or once if *count* is not specified).  It will then return a string of the form

```
503.2 microseconds per iteration
```

which indicates the average amount of time required per iteration, in microseconds. Time is measured in elapsed time, not CPU time.

## EXAMPLE

Estimate how long it takes for a simple Tcl **for** loop to count to a thousand:

```
time {
    for {set i 0} {$i<1000} {incr i} {
        # empty body
    }
}
```

## SEE ALSO

[clock(3tcl)](/clock/3tcl.md)

## KEYWORDS

script, time