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gravitational waves

gravitational waves is the plural of gravitational wave.

Meaning of gravitational wave

Noun

gravitational wave (plural gravitational waves)

  1. (relativity) A fluctuation in spacetime caused by accelerating mass, which propagates as a wave at the speed of light.
    • It is therefore apparent that the existence of gravitational waves can be deduced from general relativity just as the existence of electromagnetic waves can be deduced from Maxwell's theory.1941, Leopold Infeld, Quest: The Evolution of a Scientist, New York, N.Y.: Doubleday, Doran & Co., →OCLC, page 261
    Synonyms:
    GW
  2. (dated, proscribed) A gravity wave.
    • These layers also permit visual observation of the well-known "gravitational waves," which were suggested by Helmholtz and have been investigated theoretically at some length. It is frequently suggested that these atmospheric waves may be connected with signal fading.1951, Donald E. Kerr, editor, Propagation of Short Radio Waves [IEE Electromagnetic Waves Series; 24], London: Peter Peregrinus Ltd on behalf of The Institution of Electrical Engineers, →ISBN, page...

Questions about gravitational waves

What is gravitational waves the plural of?
Gravitational waves is the plural of gravitational wave.

Words near gravitational waves in the dictionary

  1. gravitational singularity
  2. gravitational slingshot
  3. gravitational slingshots
  4. gravitational wave
  5. gravitational wave background
  6. gravitational waves
  7. gravitational well
  8. gravitational wells
  9. gravitational-wave
  10. gravitational-wave background
  11. gravitationality

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: gravitational waves (page history and authors); gravitational wave (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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