time dilation

noun

: a slowing of time in accordance with the theory of relativity that occurs in a system in motion relative to an outside observer and that becomes apparent especially as the speed of the system approaches that of light

called also time dilatation

Examples of time dilation in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

That’s an example of time dilation – time moving at different speeds under different conditions. —Jarred Roberts, The Conversation, 20 May 2025

Measurement of this gravitational time dilation has been demonstrated across altitude differences of just 1mm. —Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024

There’s a stopwatch mechanic that might be one of the best uses of time dilation ever seen in gaming, where Astro can slow down time at the push of a button to turn everything from spinning knives to floating leaves into platforms with a Matrix-style take on platforming. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024

Here’s a rundown of some of the big news from the first 24 hours of the meeting which, due to some weird kind of relativistic time dilation, represents about a week for our intrepid reporters. —Adam Feuerstein , Matthew Herper, STAT, 1 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1923, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for time dilation

• abbreviation
• abomination
• acceleration
• accentuation
• accommodation
• accreditation
• acculturation
• accumulation
• acetylation
• adjudication
• administration
• adulteration