radio frequency

noun

: any of the electromagnetic wave frequencies that lie in the range extending from below 3 kilohertz to about 300 gigahertz and that include the frequencies used for communications signals (as for radio and television broadcasting and cell-phone and satellite transmissions) or radar signals

Examples of radio frequency in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

One study published in 2018 that is often cited by those concerned about a connection analyzed the impact of whole-body radio frequency radiation on rats at a frequency and modulations used by cell phones. —Tingting Tan, EverydayHealth.com, 23 Jan. 2026

The storm could also impact power systems, spacecraft operations, radio frequencies and satellite navigation. —ABC News, 19 Jan. 2026

User terminals communicate with satellites via radio frequency links that can be detected through surveillance, for example from planes or drones, potentially exposing users’ locations and putting them at risk of being identified. —Alberto Dainotti, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026

As Earth, the pulsar, and the intervening interstellar gas move relative to one another, bright and dim patches form across radio frequencies and evolve over time. —Sharmila Kuthunur, Space.com, 16 Jan. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for radio frequency

• multifrequency
• infrequency

Kids Definition

radio frequency

noun

: any of the electromagnetic wave frequencies between about 3 kilohertz and 300 gigahertz that are used especially in radio and television transmission and in radar

Medical Definition

radio frequency

noun

: any of the electromagnetic wave frequencies that lie in a range extending from below 3 kilohertz to about 300 gigahertz and that include the frequencies used for communications signals (as for radio and television broadcasting and cell-phone transmissions) or radar signals

—often hyphenated when used before another noun

radio-frequency waves