gravitational wave

noun

: a disturbance in space-time in the form of a wave that propagates the gravitational field

Gravitational waves are a natural offshoot of the rubber-sheet construction of general relativity. Just as a massive object sitting on the fabric of spacetime creates a dimple, so moving or changing objects, under certain conditions, create wrinkles in the fabric. Those wrinkles, tiny distortions in spacetime, zoom away at the speed of light. Because these gravitational waves carry energy, anything emitting them will lose a tiny bit of its speed.

—Science

Examples of gravitational wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In 2017, such an event occurred, and the signals were detected here on Earth by both light-sensitive observatories like NASA’s Fermi satellite, as well as the gravitational wave detectors LIGO and Virgo. —Big Think, 13 Nov. 2025

They would be joined by gravitational waves coming from various other sources, such as supermassive black holes that have collided and merged in different galaxies. —Keith Cooper, Space.com, 15 Oct. 2025

The perfect way to test that is to use gravitational waves to measure the surface of two colliding black holes and the resulting, unified black hole. —Rachyl Jones, semafor.com, 17 Sep. 2025

By studying gravitational waves related to the event, the researchers were able to observe an astrophysical phenomenon that does not emit light. —Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 16 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gravitational wave

• aftershave
• architrave
• autoclave
• microwave
• misbehave
• agave
• behave
• concave
• conclave
• enclave
• engrave
• enslave