time dilation
noun
: a slowing of time in accordance with the theory of relativity that occurs in a system in motion relative to an outside observer and that becomes apparent especially as the speed of the system approaches that of light
called also time dilatation
Examples of time dilation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Measurement of this gravitational time dilation has been demonstrated across altitude differences of just 1mm.
—
Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
There’s a stopwatch mechanic that might be one of the best uses of time dilation ever seen in gaming, where Astro can slow down time at the push of a button to turn everything from spinning knives to floating leaves into platforms with a Matrix-style take on platforming.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024
Here’s a rundown of some of the big news from the first 24 hours of the meeting which, due to some weird kind of relativistic time dilation, represents about a week for our intrepid reporters.
—Adam Feuerstein , Matthew Herper, STAT, 1 June 2024
Fascinatingly, relativistic effects, such as time dilation and length contraction, start to happen when speeds exceed one-tenth the speed of light.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for time dilation 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Paul Lipman, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024
There’s a stopwatch mechanic that might be one of the best uses of time dilation ever seen in gaming, where Astro can slow down time at the push of a button to turn everything from spinning knives to floating leaves into platforms with a Matrix-style take on platforming.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024
Here’s a rundown of some of the big news from the first 24 hours of the meeting which, due to some weird kind of relativistic time dilation, represents about a week for our intrepid reporters.
—Adam Feuerstein , Matthew Herper, STAT, 1 June 2024
Fascinatingly, relativistic effects, such as time dilation and length contraction, start to happen when speeds exceed one-tenth the speed of light.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 2 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for time dilation
Dictionary Entries Near time dilation
Cite this Entry
“Time dilation.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/time%20dilation. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share