gigawatt

noun

giga·​watt ˈji-gə-ˌwät How to pronounce gigawatt (audio) ˈgi- How to pronounce gigawatt (audio)
: a unit of power equal to one billion watts

Examples of gigawatt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
China, the world’s biggest polluter, has built 300 gigawatts of solar and wind capacity so far this year, almost five times the UK’s entire renewable capacity. Natasha Bracken, semafor.com, 13 Nov. 2025 Building just one hyperscale, one-gigawatt data center—enough to support a cutting-edge AI model—can run around $50 billion, with the majority devoted to GPUs, followed by the buildings, cooling systems, and power infrastructure. Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 13 Nov. 2025 If approved, the plants would add nearly three gigawatts of energy to the grid, or enough to power more than two million homes. Francesca Pica, jsonline.com, 12 Nov. 2025 Pine Gate also has over 130 projects in development, which would have over 30 gigawatts of capacity if completed. Desiree Mathurin, Charlotte Observer, 11 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gigawatt

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gigawatt was circa 1962

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Cite this Entry

“Gigawatt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gigawatt. Accessed 17 Nov. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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