gravitational wave

noun

: a disturbance in space-time in the form of a wave that propagates the gravitational field

Gravitational waves are a natural offshoot of the rubber-sheet construction of general relativity. Just as a massive object sitting on the fabric of spacetime creates a dimple, so moving or changing objects, under certain conditions, create wrinkles in the fabric. Those wrinkles, tiny distortions in spacetime, zoom away at the speed of light. Because these gravitational waves carry energy, anything emitting them will lose a tiny bit of its speed.

—Science

Examples of gravitational wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Because gravitational wave detectors like LIGO Hanford, LIGO Livingston, Virgo, and KAGRA are all at different locations on Earth, there are slight time delays between when the signals arrive in the various detectors. —Big Think, 25 Feb. 2026

The black holes lose orbital energy to each other, and this energy is transported away as gravitational waves. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 24 Feb. 2026

Today, astronomers know of dozens in our galaxy and have detected hundreds more through gravitational waves from distant cosmic collisions. —Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Feb. 2026

To date, astronomers have managed to detect about 300 such mergers via their associated crescendos of gravitational waves. —Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gravitational wave

• aftershave
• architrave
• autoclave
• microwave
• misbehave
• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave