Inutes

Inutes is a term used in some works of speculative fiction, tabletop role-playing games, and certain video game settings to denote a very small unit of time. Unlike real-world minutes, inutes are not part of established timekeeping standards and their exact value can vary between worlds and systems. In fiction, they are typically employed to describe rapid sequences, milliseconds of reaction time, or brief intervals within a larger event timeline.

Most common worldbuilding conventions assign 1 inute a fraction of a real minute. A frequently used convention is that 1 inute equals 0.8 seconds, making 75 inutes equal 60 seconds. This proportional relationship allows writers and game designers to scale pacing without drifting into unrealistically short or long durations. However, because inutes are a fictional construct, other settings may define different lengths or provide no fixed conversion at all, leaving the unit as a narrative device rather than a precise measurement.

Etymology for inute is not standardized; it appears to be a coined term blending elements of “instant” or “minute” to evoke a sense of very small time. Variants and spellings may arise in different languages or fan-created content, and in some works the term may lose or gain precision depending on the author’s intent.

In practice, inutes are primarily a storytelling or gameplay tool. They help convey speed, delay, or timing without committing to strict real-time physics. See also: minute, second, and chronon (a fictional time unit used in other settings).