word

gravitational wave

grav-ih-TAY-shun-al WAYV

ˌɡrævɪˈteɪʃənl weɪv

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Syllable breakdown

gravitationalwave

Dictionary meaning

A ripple in the curvature of spacetime, caused by some of the most energetic events in the universe (such as merging black holes), propagating outward at the speed of light; first directly detected in 2015.

Examples

The detection of gravitational waves from two merging black holes confirmed a major prediction of general relativity.

Common mispronunciations

GRAV-ih-tay-shun-al WAYV

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