terawatt

noun

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

Examples of terawatt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First, global electricity demand from data centers is expected to more than double to 945 terawatt hours by 2030 from 415 terawatt hours in 2024, according to projections from the International Energy Agency. Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Nov. 2025 Musk then suggested that the satellites could unleash 100 terawatts per year if even more satellites are launched from a Moon base built with a dedicated factory. PC Magazine, 3 Nov. 2025 Reports suggest that with new technologies enabling access to heat at depths beyond 26,000 feet, the world’s geothermal potential could reach nearly 600 terawatts of capacity. Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025 When scaled to today’s GPT-4 and GPT-5, training costs soar into billions of liters and terawatt-hours, reshaping local utilities and global emissions. Dianne Plummer, Forbes.com, 28 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for terawatt

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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Terawatt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/terawatt. Accessed 13 Nov. 2025.

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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