geothermal
adjective
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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
Dr. Mark A. Boyer, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2025
Clean energy advocates have said that any incentive plan to boost capacity should include the wind, solar and geothermal sectors.
—John C. Moritz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
The country's first major climate policy under the Biden administration secured at least a decade of federal tax incentives for rooftop solar panels, solar water heaters and geothermal heat pumps, says Sean Gallagher, vice president of policy for the Solar Energy Industries Association.
—Camila Domonoske, NPR, 16 July 2025
Government and industry are also looking to other sources, such as investing in nuclear fusion advancement and building geothermal plants.
—Melissa Scanlan, The Conversation, 29 July 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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geothermal
adjective
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