diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4f948f6..a008b56 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -72,12 +72,12 @@ Or if you don't want to trace an entire function, you can wrap the relevant part
 import pysnooper
 import random
 
-def foo(relative_time=False):
+def foo(elapsed_time=False):
     lst = []
     for i in range(10):
         lst.append(random.randrange(1, 1000))
 
-    with pysnooper.snoop(relative_time=relative_time):
+    with pysnooper.snoop(elapsed_time=elapsed_time):
         lower = min(lst)
         upper = max(lst)
         mid = (lower + upper) / 2
@@ -102,18 +102,18 @@ New var:....... mid = 453.0
 Total elapsed time: 00:00:00.000344
 ```
 
-If `relative_time` is `True`, print time format will be relative.
+If `elapsed_time` is `True`, print elapsed time format.
 
 ```python
 import pysnooper
 import random
 
-def foo(relative_time=False):
+def foo(elapsed_time=False):
     lst = []
     for i in range(10):
         lst.append(random.randrange(1, 1000))
 
-    with pysnooper.snoop(relative_time=relative_time):
+    with pysnooper.snoop(elapsed_time=elapsed_time):
         lower = min(lst)
         upper = max(lst)
         mid = (lower + upper) / 2
diff --git a/pysnooper/tracer.py b/pysnooper/tracer.py
index c02153c..8d303ae 100644
--- a/pysnooper/tracer.py
+++ b/pysnooper/tracer.py
@@ -198,11 +198,15 @@ class Tracer:
 
     You can also use `max_variable_length=None` to never truncate them.
 
+    Print time in elapsed time format::
+
+        @pysnooper.snoop(elapsed_time=True)
+
     '''
     def __init__(self, output=None, watch=(), watch_explode=(), depth=1,
                  prefix='', overwrite=False, thread_info=False, custom_repr=(),
                  max_variable_length=100, normalize=False,
-                 relative_time=False):
+                 elapsed_time=False):
         self._write = get_write_function(output, overwrite)
 
         self.watch = [
@@ -228,7 +232,7 @@ class Tracer:
         self.last_source_path = None
         self.max_variable_length = max_variable_length
         self.normalize = normalize
-        self.relative_time = relative_time
+        self.elapsed_time = elapsed_time
 
     def __call__(self, function_or_class):
         if DISABLED:
@@ -359,7 +363,7 @@ class Tracer:
         #                                                                     #
         ### Finished checking whether we should trace this line. ##############
 
-        if self.relative_time:
+        if self.elapsed_time:
             duration = datetime_module.datetime.now() - self.start_time
             now_string = pycompat.timedelta_isoformat(
                 duration, timespec='microseconds') if not self.normalize else ' ' * 15
diff --git a/tests/test_pysnooper.py b/tests/test_pysnooper.py
index a4219fc..2140ca5 100644
--- a/tests/test_pysnooper.py
+++ b/tests/test_pysnooper.py
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ def test_string_io():
     )
 
 
-def test_relative_time():
+def test_elapsed_time():
     string_io = io.StringIO()
 
-    @pysnooper.snoop(string_io, relative_time=True)
+    @pysnooper.snoop(string_io, elapsed_time=True)
     def my_function(foo):
         x = 7
         y = 8