The empty place outside the Walls of the World, into which the Valar cast Morgoth after their victory in the War of Wrath. In the ancient history of the world, Morgoth had retreated into the Void for a time and then secretly returned, and after the War of Wrath the Valar set a guard on the Walls of the World and the Door of Night that led into the Void to prevent another secret return. Nonetheless, prophecies of the ending of the world implied that Morgoth would at some time make his return into Arda and so trigger the Last Battle.
Given the fact that Morgoth could pass out into the Timeless Void and return, it's hard to be sure how literally the word 'timeless' should be taken. The implication seems to be that the normal passage of time within Arda ceased at its borders with the Void, but clearly some kind of time must have operated there. The name is perhaps intended to connect the Timeless Void with the Timeless Halls in which the Ainur dwelt before the making of the world.
Notes
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Strictly, it is not established beyond doubt that the Timeless Halls were within the Timeless Void, but given the clear associations of the names, and the fact that the Ainur could move from the Timeless Halls to the Void at will, it seems safe to make the connection.
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- Updated 22 June 2018
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