1. Plural of chronogram: a phrase, inscription, or sentence in which certain letters (usually Roman numerals) are arranged to express a date or number.
Usage: literary; historical; often used in inscriptions and commemorative texts

Examples

• Medieval scholars created chronograms to embed dates into Latin inscriptions on monuments.
• The chronograms found on old church walls often commemorate important historical events.
• Deciphering chronograms requires knowledge of Roman numeral values hidden within the text.
• Renaissance artists and writers frequently used chronograms as a clever literary device.
• The inscription contained several chronograms that revealed the year the building was completed.