radiate

1 of 2

verb

ra·​di·​ate ˈrā-dē-ˌāt How to pronounce radiate (audio)
radiated; radiating

intransitive verb

1
: to proceed in a direct line from or toward a center
2
: to send out rays : shine brightly
3
a
: to issue in or as if in rays
b
: to evolve by adaptive radiation

transitive verb

1
: to send out in or as if in rays
2
3
: to spread abroad or around as if from a center

radiate

2 of 2

adjective

ra·​di·​ate ˈrā-dē-ət How to pronounce radiate (audio)
-ˌāt
: having rays or radial parts: such as
a
: having ray flowers
b
: characterized by radial symmetry : radially symmetrical
radiately adverb

Examples of radiate in a Sentence

Verb The pain was radiating down my arm. The sun radiates heat and light. Heat radiates from the sun.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
At 35, Perfetti radiates the same curiosity and enthusiasm Jacob would while wandering through the museum’s Dinosaur Hall. Yvonne Villarreal, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2024 For many years, the arid plains and wide skies of Oklahoma did not radiate Hollywood dynamism. Matt Stevens, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2024 With a mass just 0.05% as big as that of a proton, electrons radiate strongly enough to limit their energy. Byadrian Cho, science.org, 28 Mar. 2024 By calculating the energy radiated during each song at the Los Angeles concert, the Caltech researchers could interpret each as a local magnitude of an earthquake that would have radiated the same energy, according their research article, published in Seismological Research Letters on March 13. Nicole Brown Chau, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2024 In his later years, Prodigy expressed regrets over the Worldstar Hip-Hop clip, which radiates the frustration of his then-impending three-year prison sentence. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2024 Next, elevate the ensemble with bold statement pieces that radiate an aura of confidence and authority. Alex Kessler, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2024 Materials that radiate in that range can expel excess heat and cool themselves in the process in a phenomenon called passive radiative cooling. Sabrina Weiss, WIRED, 20 Mar. 2024 The ferocious power of its wordless lament radiated on some low, invisible frequency through the museum walls. Sebastian Smee, Washington Post, 15 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'radiate.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Latin radiatus, past participle of radiare, from radius ray

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1619, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Adjective

1668, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radiate was circa 1619

Dictionary Entries Near radiate

Cite this Entry

“Radiate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radiate. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

radiate

verb
ra·​di·​ate
ˈrād-ē-ˌāt
radiated; radiating
1
: to proceed in a direct line from or toward a center
2
a
: to send out rays : shine
b
: to come forth in the form or as if in the form of rays
3
: to spread around from or as if from a center
Etymology

Verb

Latin radiare "to proceed from or toward a center," from radius "ray, beam, spoke" — related to radio, radius, ray entry 2

Medical Definition

radiate

1 of 2 verb
ra·​di·​ate ˈrād-ē-ˌāt How to pronounce radiate (audio)
radiated; radiating

intransitive verb

: to issue in or as if in rays : spread from a central point
back pain radiating to both upper legsTony Miksanek

radiate

2 of 2 adjective
ra·​di·​ate ˈrād-ē-ət, -ē-ˌāt How to pronounce radiate (audio)
1
: having rays or radial parts
2
: characterized by radial symmetry : radially symmetrical

More from Merriam-Webster on radiate

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