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

Internet bandwidth is rationed. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 9 Jan. 2026

The consumer tech giant continues to trail SK Hynix in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips used in AI processors like those from Nvidia. —Dylan Butts, CNBC, 8 Jan. 2026

Demand for memory chips has also been surging as the AI data center buildout consumes much of the high-bandwidth memory on the market. —Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 8 Jan. 2026

Sidewalk is powered by Ring and Amazon smart speakers and video doorbells, which borrow a portion of their internet bandwidth to send and receive lower power signals to devices as far as a kilometer away. —Bloomberg, Mercury News, 6 Jan. 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