gravitational wave

noun

: a disturbance in space-time in the form of a wave that propagates the gravitational field

Gravitational waves are a natural offshoot of the rubber-sheet construction of general relativity. Just as a massive object sitting on the fabric of spacetime creates a dimple, so moving or changing objects, under certain conditions, create wrinkles in the fabric. Those wrinkles, tiny distortions in spacetime, zoom away at the speed of light. Because these gravitational waves carry energy, anything emitting them will lose a tiny bit of its speed.

—Science

Examples of gravitational wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The 2016 confirmation of gravitational waves made the 48-year Higgs boson hunt seem fast in comparison. —Nathaniel Janowitz, Wired News, 12 June 2026

Meanwhile, a merger of two objects spotted via gravitational waves by the LIGO-Virgo-KAGRA collaboration last year has intrigued scientists—because both objects might be less than a solar mass. —Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 4 June 2026

Analyzing these waves confirmed that although energy is given off in gravitational waves during the merger, the total entropy of the black holes increases in accordance with the second law of thermodynamics. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 1 June 2026

From brain waves to gravitational waves, quantum sensors have successfully detected both and are now being prepared to operate outside laboratories as well. —Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gravitational wave

• aftershave
• architrave
• autoclave
• microwave
• misbehave
• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave