curvature

American  

[kur-vuh-cher, -choor] / ˈkɜr və tʃər, -ˌtʃʊər /

noun

1. the act of curving or the state of being curved.

2. a curved condition, often abnormal.

   curvature of the spine.

3. the degree of curving of a line or surface.

4. Geometry.

   1. (at a point on a curve) the derivative of the inclination of the tangent with respect to arc length.

   2. the absolute value of this derivative.

5. something curved.

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curvature British  

/ ˈkɜːvətʃə /

noun

1. something curved or a curved part of a thing

2. any normal or abnormal curving of a bodily part

   curvature of the spine

3. geometry the change in inclination of a tangent to a curve over unit length of arc. For a circle or sphere it is the reciprocal of the radius See also radius of curvature centre of curvature

4. the act of curving or the state or degree of being curved or bent

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Etymology

Origin of curvature

1375–1425; late Middle English < Latin curvātūra, equivalent to curvāt ( us ) past participle of curvāre to bend, curve + -ūra -ure. See -ate ¹

Explanation

A rounded, bent, or arched shape in something is a curvature. When there's a wide expanse of open ocean, you can see the slight curvature of the earth right where it meets the horizon. A curvature is the shape of something that's curved — and both words stem from the Latin curvare, "to bend." In math, the term curvature has several specific meanings depending on its context, but it basically comes down to a curving or bending away from a straight line. The curvature of your movie theater seat might make it particularly comfortable, while the curvature of your spine as you work on your computer may give you a backache later.

Example Sentences

If this happens, spacetime curvature is no longer perfectly defined at every point.

From Science Daily • Mar. 9, 2026

These two approaches struggle to coexist when particles move through curved spacetime while also influencing that curvature.

From Science Daily • Jan. 8, 2026

In the High North, satellites orbiting the equator can often be obscured by the curvature of the Earth, meaning fewer visible satellites than elsewhere on the planet.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 27, 2025

Surgeons inserted titanium rods into her spine to correct a curvature caused by scoliosis when she was 12 years old and she spent 10 days on her back after the operation.

From BBC • May 18, 2025

Eddington measured the position of a star during a solar eclipse and spotted the curvature that Einstein had predicted.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife