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.
For context, 100 gigawatts can power roughly 75 million homes. Jordan Blum, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026 The agreement is expected to bring more than a gigawatt of AI compute capacity online this year. Liz Napolitano, CNBC, 27 Mar. 2026 Hyperion will have about 5 gigawatts of computing power, with the remaining gigawatts used to power the broader campus, according to a Meta spokesperson. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2026 There are a lot of variables involved, but a 1 gigawatt facility could power approximately 340,000 homes. Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 26 Mar. 2026 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 2 Apr. 2026.

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