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

This wavelength of light preserves your night vision. —Anthony Wood, Space.com, 15 Nov. 2025

Each wavelength behaves like its own computational channel, which lets the system process higher-order tensor operations in parallel. —Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 14 Nov. 2025

If that were true, light of different energies (and wavelengths) would travel at different speeds, and the level at which that would need to be true is much too large to be consistent with observations. —Big Think, 13 Nov. 2025

The light emits at various wavelengths, creating a colorful display throughout the night sky. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 12 Nov. 2025

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