space-time

noun

ˈspās-ˈtīm How to pronounce space-time (audio)
ˈspās-ˌtīm
1
: a system of one temporal and three spatial coordinates by which any physical object or event can be located

called also space-time continuum

2
: the whole or a portion of physical reality determinable by a usually four-dimensional coordinate system
also : the properties characteristic of such an order

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web These powerful celestial phenomena also have a way of superheating the material around them and warping space-time. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Apr. 2023 With Einstein and relativity, a big insight is that space and time don’t really exist as separate entities so much as there’s this one thing called the space-time continuum. Quanta Magazine, 29 Mar. 2023 That’s why it’s called space-time. Tim Newcomb, Popular Mechanics, 2 Mar. 2023 He probably is best known for creating a type of space-time block code commonly used in wireless cellular communications. IEEE Spectrum, 7 Nov. 2022 Regardless of their celebrity, all contributors were paid at the same rate per word, so Trotsky received $106 for his entry on Lenin, while Einstein earned $86.40 for his shorter piece on space-time. Dennis Duncan, Washington Post, 26 Feb. 2023 Others caution that the road from negative energies to exotic shapes of space-time is winding and uncertain. Tara C. Smith, Quanta Magazine, 23 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'space-time.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of space-time was in 1910

Dictionary Entries Near space-time

Cite this Entry

“Space-time.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/space-time. Accessed 6 Jun. 2023.

More from Merriam-Webster on space-time

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