terawatt

noun

tera·​watt ˈter-ə-ˌwät How to pronounce terawatt (audio)
: a unit of power equal to one trillion watts

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Planned hydrogen electrolyzer projects globally have jumped by 18% in the last six months, surpassing one terawatt of electricity capacity for the first time, according to a semi annual report by Aurora Energy Research. Will Horner, WSJ, 28 Apr. 2023 Demand for lithium-ion batteries from transport and energy storage will surge to as much as 5.9 terawatt-hours a year in 2030, putting a strain on supply chains, BloombergNEF said in an annual New Energy Outlook report published Wednesday. BostonGlobe.com, 20 Apr. 2021 According to Techspot, data centers consume more than 205 terawatt hours of electricity per year. Sanjoy Maity, Forbes, 17 Mar. 2023 But, according to Bloomberg, the second terawatt of solar power capacity will be installed over the next four years as the world races to net zero. Eamon Barrett, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2022 Their analysis indicates that the heat transfer from expelling these materials equals around a terawatt — about double the energy required to power the U.S. at once. Claire Bugos, Discover Magazine, 10 May 2021 Using a high-repetition-rate terawatt laser, the equipment was set up next to a telecommunication tower that is one of Europe's structures most affected by lightning. Julia Musto, Fox News, 17 Jan. 2023 The wind farms that now punctuate the landscape from California to New York produce a total of almost 100 terawatt-hours of electricity a year, almost 2.5 percent of total demand. Eric A Powell, Discover Magazine, 18 Oct. 2012 For context, a terawatt is a thousand times bigger than a gigawatt. Ella Nilsen, CNN, 6 Apr. 2022 See More

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

Word History

Etymology

tera- + watt

First Known Use

1970, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of terawatt was in 1970

Dictionary Entries Near terawatt

Cite this Entry

“Terawatt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terawatt. Accessed 7 Jun. 2023.

Kids Definition

terawatt

noun
tera·​watt ˈter-ə-ˌwät How to pronounce terawatt (audio)
: a unit of power equal to one trillion watts
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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