bandwidth

noun

band·​width ˈband-ˌwidth 

-ˌwitth

1

: a range within a band of wavelengths, frequencies, or energies

especially : a range of radio frequencies which is occupied by a modulated carrier wave, which is assigned to a service, or over which a device can operate

2

: the capacity for data transfer of an electronic communications system

Graphics consume more bandwidth than text does.

especially : the maximum data transfer rate of such a system

a bandwidth of 100 megabits per second

3

: the emotional or mental capacity necessary to do or consider something

I don't have the bandwidth to do it all myself, and I feel like a failure because I'm not living up to my own ideals.

—Frances Lefkowitz

Examples of bandwidth in a Sentence

The modem has a bandwidth of 56 kilobits per second.

Graphics use more bandwidth than text does.

Recent Examples on the Web

The chip maker says the last feature will give you up to 80Gbps of bidirectional bandwidth for transferring larger files or daisy-chaining multiple accessories with your computer. —James Peckham, PC Magazine, 17 Mar. 2026

The stock has been on a tear this year, rallying nearly 62% amid soaring demand for high-bandwidth memory. —Pia Singh, CNBC, 17 Mar. 2026

The setup delivered roughly 280 gigabytes per second of bandwidth, enabling the machine to process enormous datasets efficiently. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2026

The company’s high-bandwidth memory chips, a type of dynamic random-access memory, or DRAM, are sold out for the rest of the year. —Angela Palermo, Idaho Statesman, 11 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

bandwidth

noun

band·​width ˈband-ˌwidth 

1

: a range of frequencies

2

: the capacity for or rate of data transfer

a high bandwidth Internet connection