wave theory

noun

Definition of wave theory

: a theory in physics: light is transmitted from luminous bodies to the eye and other objects by an undulatory movement

— called also undulatory theory

Examples of wave theory in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The amazing breadth of his contributions stand out even today, ranging from his work on the science of electricity and the wave theory of light to demography, meteorology, physical oceanography and even behavioral science. — Nick Pyenson, Scientific American, 16 Nov. 2020 This year's first place image -- showing silicone oil droplets bouncing continuously above a petri dish of vibrating oil-- was taken by the physicist Dr. Aleks Labuda and demonstrates a theory called pilot wave theory. — Rory Sullivan, CNN, 9 Dec. 2019 Probability in pilot-wave theories, in other words, is entirely subjective. — Quanta Magazine, 9 Sep. 2019 This alternative view, known as pilot-wave theory or Bohmian mechanics, never became as popular as the Copenhagen view, in part because Bohmian mechanics implies that the world must be strange in other ways. — Quanta Magazine, 16 May 2016 Patterns for Alto’ Aether: a medium that in the wave theory of light permeates all space and transmits transverse waves. — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 19 Jan. 2018 The multiple-waves theory has failed as a model because the linguistic similarities used to show patterns of migration are just not that convincing. — Adam Rutherford, The Atlantic, 3 Oct. 2017 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wave theory.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.