wavelength

noun

wave·​length ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th 

1

: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase

2

: a particular course or line of thought especially as related to mutual understanding

two people on different wavelengths

Examples of wavelength in a Sentence

Light and sound have different wavelengths.

Recent Examples on the Web

Shorter blue wavelengths scatter easily off air molecules, while longer red and orange wavelengths pass through more directly. —Jamie Carter, Forbes.com, 27 May 2026

This light has a very specific wavelength, or color, but the JWST observations showed a minuscule shift in this color from one end of the maelstrom to the other because of the hydrogen’s motion. —Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 May 2026

Drawing heavily from imagery captured by the James Webb Space Telescope, Zelinskie's visuals, projected on a wall of the gallery, shifted through wavelengths of light to simulate the astronomical phenomenon of redshift — the stretching of light across space and time. —Steve Spaleta, Space.com, 26 May 2026

These benefits extend to blue wavelengths of light too, like those given off by cool-white LEDs. —Petra Guglielmetti, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wavelength

noun

wave·​length ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th 

1

: the distance (as from crest to crest) in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next corresponding point

2

: a certain line of thought or behavior that reveals a common understanding

coworkers who are on the same wavelength

Medical Definition

wavelength

noun

wave·​length -ˌleŋ(k)th 

: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase

—symbol λ