To understand what it is the time, we have to think in its most basic form, how has time been measured throughout history?
if you look, regardless of the innumerable ways of measuring it, there has always been an element in common: A movement that we presuppose "perpendicular" to us, to our 3 dimensions.
So if we measure time as a "perpendicular" and "simulated" movement (of course, these ways of measuring it are always in our 3 dimensions (if we exclude atomic clocks))
So it is obvious that any real perpendicular movement in a fourth dimension can be considered time, whatever that dimension is.
The expansion of the universe, as a hyper-radio that advances, for example, can be considered time and in fact indirectly it is already considered time (Big Bang and a universe that "advances")
Then there is the question of why time is relative?
but notice that in a universe that expands by centrifugal force the hyper-radio advance between a fixed object and a mobile object is different
To understand it better, I invite anyone who wants to a detailed reading of this theory
Preprint ALL SPECIAL RELATIVITY EQUATIONS OBTAINED USING GALILEAN TRA...
It is a construction of mankind to measure the evolution of Physical phenomena in a 3D Space. Time by itself does not exist, space dynamics/evolution does.
Time isn't the primary it's effect of event proceeding. Hence noted above by Stefano it's evolution of physical phenomena. Time is a mark of event train overall
“…Is time fundamental or a consequence of more fundamental attributes of the universe?….”
This question was discussed in a number of RG threads, the very short answer is: both phenomena/notions , “Space” and “Time” , can be, and are, correctly defined only in the Shevchenko-Tokarevsky’s “The Information as Absolute” conception, from which follows that both [and a number of other Meta-physical phenomena/notions that are properly defined/clarified in the conception] are absolutely fundamental “attributes” in every dynamical informational pattern/system [for fixed patterns/systems it is enough only Space].
More see SS posts in, for example, September 17 and September 18 in the thread [now both are on the visible page] https://www.researchgate.net/post/Who_says_that_cauzation_backwards_in_time_is_impossible_Classical_mechanics_The_relativity_theory_Is_there_a_proof#view=5d23d8210f95f198f26c5efa , and the papers that are linked in the posts.
No, that definition is not correct and I explain why:
If it were the evolution of Physical phenomena in a 3D Space, without any Physical phenomena in a 3D Space there would never be any change in that 3D Space and that is not so, that 3D Space is modified as a function of time until reaching the Big Bang
If it were the evolution of Physical phenomena in a 3D Space, all observers would measure time equally and Einstein's field equations would have only 3 dimensions and would not even exist.