bandwidth
noun
band·width
ˈband-ˌwidth 
-ˌwitth
1
: a range within a band of wavelengths, frequencies, or energies
especially
: a range of radio frequencies which is occupied by a modulated carrier wave, which is assigned to a service, or over which a device can operate
2
: the capacity for data transfer of an electronic communications system
Graphics consume more bandwidth than text does.
especially
: the maximum data transfer rate of such a system
a bandwidth of 100 megabits per second
3
: the emotional or mental capacity necessary to do or consider something
I don't have the bandwidth to do it all myself, and I feel like a failure because I'm not living up to my own ideals.—
Frances Lefkowitz
Frances LefkowitzExamples of bandwidth in a Sentence
The modem has a bandwidth of 56 kilobits per second.
Graphics use more bandwidth than text does.
Recent Examples on the Web
The setup uses a modulation technique that splits data into multiple frequency channels, allowing efficient use of bandwidth while adapting to signal conditions.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Spotify says compressed audio removes data to save bandwidth, while lossless formats maintain full fidelity.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Rural users, paradoxically, often report the most consistent experience because there's less competition for tower bandwidth.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Wikipedia will still have to contend with AI bots sapping its bandwidth, but at least this will ensure that the text those AIs are learning from is accurate and human-generated—not some AI ouroboros.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bandwidth
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Mar. 2026
Spotify says compressed audio removes data to save bandwidth, while lossless formats maintain full fidelity.
—Thomas Westerholm, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026
Rural users, paradoxically, often report the most consistent experience because there's less competition for tower bandwidth.
—Ken Colburn, AZCentral.com, 29 Mar. 2026
Wikipedia will still have to contend with AI bots sapping its bandwidth, but at least this will ensure that the text those AIs are learning from is accurate and human-generated—not some AI ouroboros.
—Jon Martindale, PC Magazine, 27 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for bandwidth
Cite this Entry
“Bandwidth.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bandwidth. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
bandwidth
noun
band·width
ˈband-ˌwidth
1
: a range of frequencies
2
: the capacity for or rate of data transfer
a high bandwidth Internet connection
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