radio wave

noun

: an electromagnetic wave with radio frequency

Examples of radio wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The yellow streaks are jets of hot ionized gas, which emits radio waves. Dennis Overbye, New York Times, 19 Apr. 2024 Many low-Earth orbit satellites and radio waves operate in the ionosphere, which means dynamic space weather has an impact on GPS and long-distance radio communications. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 3 Apr. 2024 That is in addition to other advanced tools such as synthetic-aperture radar, which can use radio waves to track military movements even at night and beneath cloud cover. Eric Lipton, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 Light waves, radio waves, X rays—none of these ways of reading the universe let scientists see as far down toward the horizon of a black hole. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2024 Data is also sent to airlines using the Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS), which transmits automated and manually entered messages between airlines and airplanes using radio waves and satellite links. Gregory Wallace, CNN, 17 Mar. 2024 The wavelength of this radio wave would be 3 meters. WIRED, 27 Oct. 2023 These radio waves precisely measured the position of Dimorphos relative to Didymos after impact. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 20 Mar. 2024 The citizen scientists will reveal how a short, sudden darkness affects the way radio waves propagate in the ionosphere—and how this may alter its overall ionization. Catherine Duncan, Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'radio wave.' 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

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radio wave was in 1915

Dictionary Entries Near radio wave

Cite this Entry

“Radio wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radio%20wave. Accessed 1 May. 2024.

Kids Definition

radio wave

noun
: an electromagnetic wave with radio frequency

Medical Definition

radio wave

noun
ra·​dio wave ˈrād-ē-ō-ˌwāv How to pronounce radio wave (audio)
: an electromagnetic wave with radio frequency

More from Merriam-Webster on radio wave

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!