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.—
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ScienceExamples of gravitational wave in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The trio of space probes will detect and measure gravitational waves originating from places such as smaller stellar mass black holes orbiting supermassive black holes.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
Projects have been proposed to use an orbital constellation of optical atomic clocks to support the search for dark matter and dark energy, detect low-frequency gravitational waves with unprecedented accuracy and probe the fundamental limits of general relativity.
—Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
The fact that gravitational waves seem to arrive simultaneously with light from the same events has quashed that idea, ruling out a few theories already.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2021
Such gravitational waves created by the collisions of supermassive black holes could be detected in the future by LISA, the European Space Agency-led Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission that’s expected to launch in the mid-2030s.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gravitational wave 
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 26 Oct. 2024
Projects have been proposed to use an orbital constellation of optical atomic clocks to support the search for dark matter and dark energy, detect low-frequency gravitational waves with unprecedented accuracy and probe the fundamental limits of general relativity.
—Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
The fact that gravitational waves seem to arrive simultaneously with light from the same events has quashed that idea, ruling out a few theories already.
—Clara Moskowitz, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2021
Such gravitational waves created by the collisions of supermassive black holes could be detected in the future by LISA, the European Space Agency-led Laser Interferometer Space Antenna mission that’s expected to launch in the mid-2030s.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN, 10 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for gravitational wave
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gravitational wave.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Gravitational wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravitational%20wave. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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