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Examples of general relativity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
English astronomer Arthur Eddington’s eclipse expedition of 1919 proved Einstein’s theory of general relativity beyond a shadow of a doubt.
—John Penner, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2024
In 1919, observations of a solar eclipse allowed scientists to test Albert Einstein’s theory of gravity, known as general relativity.
—Dan Falk, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
But what if general relativity, our best theory of gravity, breaks down somehow over very large distances?
—Michael D. Lemonick, Scientific American, 1 Jan. 2024
That put him in the awkward position of having to undo the unification of time and space, a key achievement of Einstein’s general relativity.
—Adam Frank, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2023
Basically, there’s Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity (which made a tiny but far-reaching correction to Isaac Newton’s concept of gravity), and there’s quantum mechanics.
—Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024
In Albert Einstein’s theory of general relativity, which casts gravitational attraction as objects following curves in space-time, the energy-momentum tensor tells space-time how to bend.
—Quanta Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024
These unseen dimensions lend rigor to string theory by supplementing the four dimensions—three of space and one of time—described in Einstein’s general relativity.
—Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023
Quantum theory typically deals with the universe in tiny chunks, or quanta, while general relativity takes the cosmos to be continuous even at the smallest scales.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'general relativity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1916, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of general relativity was
in 1916
Dictionary Entries Near general relativity
Cite this Entry
“General relativity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general%20relativity. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
Kids Definition
general relativity
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on general relativity
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about general relativity
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