wavelength

noun

wave·​length ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th 

1

: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase

2

: a particular course or line of thought especially as related to mutual understanding

two people on different wavelengths

Examples of wavelength in a Sentence

Light and sound have different wavelengths.

Recent Examples on the Web

Most data centers today still rely on single-wavelength lasers, which means each fiber can only carry one stream of data. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025

Is that reading on your wavelength? —Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 10 Oct. 2025

Being on the same wavelength as Messi is a tall ask. —Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 9 Oct. 2025

Cisco’s quantum networking system is built on top of a practical quantum networking chip the company introduced in May, which uses existing fiber optic lines, generates up to 200 million entangled photon pairs per second, and operates at standard telecom wavelengths. —Margo Anderson, IEEE Spectrum, 9 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wavelength

noun

wave·​length ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th 

1

: the distance (as from crest to crest) in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next corresponding point

2

: a certain line of thought or behavior that reveals a common understanding

coworkers who are on the same wavelength

Medical Definition

wavelength

noun

wave·​length -ˌleŋ(k)th 

: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase

—symbol λ