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

Considering that gravitational waves were first predicted by Einstein in 1915 and the first successful detection was only made 100 years later in 2015, hunting these ripples in spacetime has always been a waiting game requiring a lot of patience. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 10 Apr. 2026

The budget would withdraw support for the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA) mission, meant to bring gravitational wave science into orbit, and the Advanced Telescope for High Energy Astrophysics (ATHENA) X-ray observatory—both ESA projects that the space agency hopes to launch next. —Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 9 Apr. 2026

If true, the pair should eventually start emitting extremely low-frequency gravitational waves that are detectable—providing even more evidence of the astounding meetup. —Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 8 Apr. 2026

This means that any effect that causes a shift in the frequency of electromagnetic waves due to an interaction with matter — whether neutral matter, ionized matter, or an electromagnetic field generated by matter — cannot also apply to gravitational waves. —Big Think, 3 Apr. 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