megawatt

noun

mega·​watt ˈme-gə-ˌwät How to pronounce megawatt (audio)
: one million watts

Examples of megawatt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Furthermore, the system is scalable to continuous operation and megawatt (MW)-scale applications, highlighting its potential as a practical technology for industrial deployment, as per the release. Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 26 Apr. 2026 Those six turbines together generate up to 900 megawatts when needed — about the same output produced by one of Constellation Energy Group’s northern Illinois nuclear reactors. The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 26 Apr. 2026 The company’s xe-100 reactor is 80 megawatts, and can be bundled together with additional reactors to scale up to 960 megawatts. Pippa Stevens, CNBC, 24 Apr. 2026 Hecate Energy, the developer of what would have been New York’s largest battery energy storage system, pulled the plug on the 650-megawatt Staten Island project last August after residents and local politicians lobbied state officials to kill it over fire concerns. Bloomberg, Oc Register, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for megawatt

Word History

Etymology

mega- + watt

First Known Use

circa 1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of megawatt was circa 1900

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Megawatt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/megawatt. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.

Medical Definition

megawatt

noun
mega·​watt ˈmeg-ə-ˌwät How to pronounce megawatt (audio)
: one million watts
abbreviation MW
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster