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

There is no control tower at the field, so pilots communicate their intentions on a common radio frequency, an arrangement common at small airports. — Aaron Cooper, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026

The system can pull this off by detecting changes in the radio frequency signal between the connected devices and the eligible Xfinity Gateway, which also acts as Wi-Fi router. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 18 Aug. 2026

So Mason has also looked to expand the range of radio frequencies that can be searched. — Keith Cooper, Space.com, 4 Aug. 2026

For years, the choice between radio frequency identification (RFID) and real-time location systems (RTLS) in asset tracking was framed as a trade-off between cost and visibility. — Fabio Belloni, Forbes.com, 27 July 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