echolocation

noun

echo·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌe-kō-lō-ˈkā-shən 

: a physiological process for locating distant or invisible objects (such as prey) by sound waves reflected back to the emitter (such as a bat) from the objects

Examples of echolocation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The shark, likely an extinct mako species related to today’s great white, appears to have targeted the whale’s head, possibly attempting to access the fat-rich tissues used in echolocation. —Melissa Cristina Márquez, Forbes.com, 1 June 2026

Humans are heavily visual; bats lean on echolocation; for dogs, smell is everything. —Federica Sgorbissa, ArsTechnica, 24 May 2026

Outsmarting the noise Many animals rely on echolocation — emitting sound waves and interpreting the returning echoes — to navigate and hunt. —Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026

Unlike toothed whales, which navigate using echolocation, baleen whales rely on a combination of tools like sight, the currents of the ocean, and—according to some scientists—Earth’s magnetic field. —Jessica Camille Aguirre, New Yorker, 2 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1944, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for echolocation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration

Kids Definition

echolocation

noun

echo·​lo·​ca·​tion ˌek-ō-lō-ˈkā-shən 

: a process for locating distant or invisible objects by means of sound waves reflected back to the sender from the objects