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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In the last few seconds, the black holes whirl around each other at near the speed of light, emitting ever more powerful gravitational waves until the two actually merge, combining in one gluttonous gulp that leaves behind a single, more massive black hole.
—Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
The team thinks that even a relatively small catalog of black hole mergers could help create a gravitational wave background map.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Since its official founding in 1920 as a successor to Pasadena’s Throop University, the campus has served as a breeding ground for Nobel Prize winners and an incubator for historic innovations, among them the Richter scale, antiretroviral therapies, and the discovery of gravitational waves.
—Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 5 Feb. 2026
In 2017, a kilonova sent light and gravitational waves across the Universe.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
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Phil Plait, Scientific American, 13 Feb. 2026
The team thinks that even a relatively small catalog of black hole mergers could help create a gravitational wave background map.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2026
Since its official founding in 1920 as a successor to Pasadena’s Throop University, the campus has served as a breeding ground for Nobel Prize winners and an incubator for historic innovations, among them the Richter scale, antiretroviral therapies, and the discovery of gravitational waves.
—Mayer Rus, Architectural Digest, 5 Feb. 2026
In 2017, a kilonova sent light and gravitational waves across the Universe.
—Big Think, 29 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for gravitational wave
Cite this Entry
“Gravitational wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gravitational%20wave. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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