unpolarized

adjective

un·​po·​lar·​ized ˌən-ˈpō-lə-ˌrīzd How to pronounce unpolarized (audio)
: not polarized
specifically : having a random pattern of vibrations

Examples of unpolarized in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
If the microwaves were unpolarized, then the brightness of the microwaves would remain constant. Kenneth Chang, New York Times, 3 June 2024 Of all the glasses tested in this category, the Ultimate Covers with unpolarized, photochromic lenses provided the greatest visible range of light, from dark, clouded forest to glaring snowbanks. Phillip Dwight Morgan, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022 While waves of unpolarized light can vibrate in any direction, polarized light only vibrates in one direction. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 16 Feb. 2022 After years of immigration being a relatively unpolarized issue, Trump is, for the first time, calling into being a large constituency for more immigration. Matthew Yglesias, Vox, 5 July 2018 Unpolarized light, such as that produced by lasers and many other light sources, is a mixture of all possible polarization orientations. Ars Technica, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2012

Word History

First Known Use

1814, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unpolarized was in 1814

Dictionary Entries Near unpolarized

Cite this Entry

“Unpolarized.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unpolarized. Accessed 17 Nov. 2024.

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