Word for both position and time

Question

Is there an English word that describes a point in both space and time?

If we consider only space, it would be "position" or "location" and if we consider only time it would be "moment" or "instant", but what about the two combined?

I think there may exist a term in physics, for example in relativity theory but I couldn't find any.

To give a bit of context of how I would use it, I'm developing an algorithm where one of the data structures contains a position in space and a moment in time and I need to find a name for it.

Answer 1

There isn’t really any term that you haven’t already considered. Here is a passage from “A Traveler's Guide To Spacetime”:

A spacetime diagram is a useful tool for displaying the spacetime coordinates of events and the motion of objects. In a typical spacetime diagram, one plots an event as a point on a graph. (pg. 40)

Later, that book provides a table describing the analogy between “plane geometry” and “spacetime geometry”. Where the former has “points”, the latter is described as having “events”. (pg. 58)

So physicists use the terms that you’re already considering; there aren’t any additional ones that would work well for your intended meaning.

Answer 2

If your position in space includes all three dimensions, I think the physics term "spacetime" will suffice.

In physics, spacetime is a mathematical model that combines the three dimensions of space and one dimension of time into a single four-dimensional manifold. Spacetime diagrams can be used to visualize relativistic effects, such as why different observers perceive differently where and when events occur. [1]

Albert Einstein introduced this wholly new topic, “Space-Time,” in 1926 [2].

For a single word that would mean "a point in spacetime," you might consider just using "event."

In physics, and in particular relativity, an event is the instantaneous physical situation or occurrence associated with a point in spacetime (that is, a specific place and time). For example, a glass breaking on the floor is an event; it occurs at a unique place and a unique time. [3]

Philosophy also uses "event" terminology. Events can be objects in time or instantiations of properties in objects.

On some views, only changes in the form of acquiring or losing a property can constitute events, like the lawn's becoming dry. According to others, there are also events that involve nothing but the retaining of a property, e.g. the lawn's staying wet. [4]

You might also find the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy's "Inertial Frames" page useful.

Answer 3

Let's call it a snapshot. I am a special education advocate. I use psychoeducational evaluations of a child to present a snapshot of a child -- a description of the child's strengths, interests, and challenges, at a particular point in time.

Also, we can think about a movie, which is a sequence of still photographs. In essence, that is a time sequence. So an individual still photograph corresponds to a particular time, relative to some other point in time -- a snapshot.

In both of these examples, time is not the only variable. In the first example, we are capturing the child's cognitive ability, level of achievement, and behavior quirks (if any). In the second example, there's plot, character development, lighting, costuming, audio, etc., etc.

Thus, in both examples, there is a rich collection of variable values that can be observed and described, associated with a time value in the sequence.

Answer 4

In literature and the performing arts, "setting" fits the bill for signifying place and time. I doubt it will ever be used in physics, though.