kilowatt

noun

kilo·​watt ˈki-lə-ˌwät How to pronounce kilowatt (audio)
ˈkē-lə-
: 1000 watts

Examples of kilowatt 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.
The charging stations already available include 612 individual charging stalls using 400-kilowatt chargers. — Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026 Hawaii offers a one-time payment of $400 for every kilowatt of battery storage that homeowners install. — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 1 July 2026 Recent tests achieved kilowatt-level transmission and showed the system could direct energy to multiple moving targets simultaneously, according to an expert review panel last month. — Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 19 June 2026 The turbine maxed out at 25 kilowatts—puny compared to modern machines that generate up to 26 megawatts, but more than most energy experts expected from wind technology in November 1976. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for kilowatt

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1884, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of kilowatt was in 1884

Phrases Containing kilowatt

Rhymes for kilowatt

See All Rhymes for kilowatt

Browse Nearby Words

kiloware
kilowatt
kilowatt-hour
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kilowatt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kilowatt. Accessed 10 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

kilowatt

noun
kilo·​watt ˈkil-ə-ˌwät How to pronounce kilowatt (audio)
: 1000 watts

Medical Definition

kilowatt

noun
kilo·​watt ˈkil-ə-ˌwät How to pronounce kilowatt (audio)
: 1000 watts

More from Merriam-Webster on kilowatt

Nglish: Translation of kilowatt for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All