kilowatt-hour

noun

kilo·​watt-hour ˈki-lə-ˌwät-ˈau̇(-ə)r 

ˈkē-lə-

: a unit of work or energy equal to that expended by one kilowatt in one hour or to 3.6 million joules

Examples of kilowatt-hour in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Once both these reactors are operational, the second phase of the power plant will generate 18 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity annually. — Ameya Paleja, Interesting Engineering, 3 Aug. 2026

For electric vehicles, the cost per kilowatt-hour at Florida charging stations on Monday rounded to 41 cents this past week. — News Service Of Florida, Sun Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026

At 20 cents per kilowatt-hour, the current price of electricity is the highest on record. — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2026

The kilowatt-hour prices on Vieques are higher than other parts of Puerto Rico because the island relies on power from the territory’s mainland via the undersea cable. — IEEE Spectrum, 15 July 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1892, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for kilowatt-hour

• candlepower
• cauliflower
• overpower
• superpower
• vavasour
• waterpower
• airpower
• brainpower
• devour
• empower
• firepower
• horsepower

Kids Definition

kilowatt-hour

noun

: a unit of work or energy equal to that expended by one kilowatt in one hour and equal to 3.6 million joules

Medical Definition

kilowatt-hour

noun

: a unit of work or energy equal to that expended by one kilowatt in one hour