Runtime is the period when a computer program is actually running or being executed. It can also mean the total time that something, like a movie or process, takes from start to finish.
Formed from *run* + *time*, originally in computing to describe the time during which a program is in execution. The idea then spread to other areas like film and machinery.
In programming, 'runtime' is its own little universe where rules can differ from what you wrote in the code—errors show up only when it’s alive and running. The word also quietly reminds you that everything has a 'run time': movies, batteries, even human focus. We live our lives inside lots of overlapping runtimes.
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