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

That impressive discovery—which earned the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics—has since become commonplace, with researchers regularly detecting gravitational waves from myriad far-distant celestial sources. —Ramin Skibba, Scientific American, 13 May 2025

Those fluctuations create gravitational waves, which are ripples that spread outward through space. —Paul Sutter, Space.com, 19 Jan. 2025

Over decades, the physicist worked hard to advance the hunt for gravitational waves — ripples in the fabric of space-time that Einstein predicted. —William J. Broad, New York Times, 19 May 2025

These findings are expected to significantly enhance future theoretical models that aim to predict gravitational wave signatures. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 16 May 2025

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