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

Nationwide, wind supplied about 10% of utility-scale electricity in 2025, up from roughly 6 billion kilowatt-hours of generation in 2000 to 464 billion last year. — Harry Bruinius, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Sep. 2026

An electric vehicle carries tens to more than 100 kilowatt-hours of energy and must perform reliably through freezing winters, scorching summers, long-distance travel and years of daily use. — Vincent Yang, Forbes.com, 24 Sep. 2026

For a home or business that uses 1,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity a month, that could mean power bills roughly $8 a month lower with these changes than if current rules weren’t repealed. — Akshaya Jha, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026

Its state-of-the-art diesel-electric setup uses a massive 6,758-kilowatt-hour marine battery system. — New Atlas, 16 Sep. 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