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.

---

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

---

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

See Examples For:

curvature

"It allows for operations at very low altitudes -- it is controlled by a signal from space, bypassing the radio horizon and the Earth's curvature -- factors that otherwise limit ground-based remote control signals."

From Barron's ● Oct. 14, 2026

By the time it was removed, I was rail-thin, had a curvature of the spine and lost much of my hair due to antibiotics.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

His map accommodates for the curvature of the Earth by making countries near the equator seem much smaller than they are, with countries nearer the poles appearing stretched.

From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026

"Large objects such as stars curve spacetime strongly -- for example, we can observe this when light rays are deflected by massive stars. But smaller masses also produce spacetime curvature, just to a lesser extent."

From Science Daily ● Aug. 30, 2026

Judging by its width and curvature, it is a metal railing.

From "Divergent" by Veronica Roth