redshift

noun

red·​shift ˈred-ˈshift 

: a displacement of the spectrum of a celestial body toward longer wavelengths that is a consequence of the Doppler effect or the gravitational field of the source

also : a measurement of a celestial body's redshift equal to the ratio of the displacement of a spectral line to its known unshifted wavelength and used especially to calculate the body's distance from earth

redshifted

ˈred-ˈshif-təd 

adjective

Examples of redshift in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The higher the redshift, the farther the object is. —Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026

These criteria are mostly concerned with avoiding the formation of molecular hydrogen, which can efficiently cool the gas at high redshift, favoring the formation of smaller stars. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 27 Jan. 2026

That’s not just an equality; that’s the very definition of redshift. —Big Think, 19 Nov. 2025

Combining these ages with the galaxies' redshifts reveals how much the universe has expanded while the light was traveling to us, offering another way to trace the cosmic expansion history. —Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 July 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for redshift

• adrift
• airlift
• facelift
• festschrift
• forklift
• gearshift
• makeshift
• sealift
• snowdrift
• spendthrift
• clift
• drift

Kids Definition

redshift

noun

red·​shift ˈred-ˈshift 

: displacement of a spectrum especially of a heavenly body toward longer wavelengths