Metric Time - Alternative Meaning

Alternative Meaning

Metric time is sometimes used to mean decimal time. Metric time properly refers to measurement of time interval, while decimal time refers to the time of day. Standard time of day is defined by various time scales, such as UTC, which are now usually based upon the metric base unit of time, the second. Some proposals for alternative units of metric time are accompanied by decimal time scales for telling the time of day based upon these alternative units. Other proposals called "metric time" refer only to decimal time, and therefore are not truly metric.

French decimal time is sometimes called "metric time" because it was introduced around the same time as the metric system and both were decimal, but the April 7, 1795, decree creating the original metric units and prefixes actually suspended the previous decimal time decree, which had named the units hour, minute and second instead of using metric prefixes.