wavelength

noun

wave·​length ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th 

1

: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase

2

: a particular course or line of thought especially as related to mutual understanding

two people on different wavelengths

Examples of wavelength in a Sentence

Light and sound have different wavelengths.

Recent Examples on the Web

This energy loss occurs more quickly at shorter wavelengths than at longer wavelengths. —Robert Lea, Space.com, 18 Feb. 2025

The recent discovery came within the context of investigating the distribution of matter in the universe at different light wavelengths. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 11 Feb. 2025

Shorter wavelength energy includes ultraviolet, X-ray and gamma radiation, while longer wavelength energy includes infrared and radio waves. —Michael J. Murdoch, The Conversation, 3 Feb. 2025

The most ancient 21 cm signal would arrive to us at wavelengths that are reflected off Earth’s ionosphere, notes Anastasia Fialkov, a cosmologist and astrophysicist at the Institute of Astronomy in Cambridge, England. —The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 30 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

wavelength

noun

wave·​length ˈwāv-ˌleŋ(k)th 

1

: the distance (as from crest to crest) in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next corresponding point

2

: a certain line of thought or behavior that reveals a common understanding

coworkers who are on the same wavelength

Medical Definition

wavelength

noun

wave·​length -ˌleŋ(k)th 

: the distance in the line of advance of a wave from any one point to the next point of corresponding phase

—symbol λ