geothermal
adjective
Did you know?
Geothermal comes partly from the Greek thermos, "hot". Most geothermal electricity is provided by power plants situated in areas where there is significant activity of the Earth's great tectonic plates—often the same areas where volcanoes are found. But hot water from deep underground may be used by cities far from volcanoes to heat buildings or sidewalks. And a newer source of geothermal energy relies on a less dramatic kind of heat: Individual homeowners can now install heat pumps that take advantage of the 50°-60° temperature of the soil near the surface to provide heating in cold weather (and air-conditioning in the warm months). These very small-scale geothermal systems may eventually supply more useful energy than the large power plants.
Examples of geothermal in a Sentence
Adam Beam, AJC.com, 23 Apr. 2026
Fervo Energy filed confidentially in January for a geothermal IPO.
—Tenzin Seldon, Fortune, 23 Apr. 2026
In the summer, warm air from the house is drawn into the geothermal heat pump’s water.
—Lew Sichelman, Miami Herald, 23 Apr. 2026
The first phase will include two geothermal well systems targeting different temperature zones.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for geothermal
Cite this Entry
“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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geothermal
adjective
