general theory of relativity

American  

noun

Physics.

1. relativity2

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general theory of relativity British  

noun

1. the theory of gravitation, developed by Einstein in 1916, extending the special theory of relativity to include acceleration and leading to the conclusion that gravitational forces are equivalent to forces caused by acceleration

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Etymology

Origin of general theory of relativity

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Our current theory of gravity, Einstein’s general theory of relativity, predicts its own failure at points in spacetime called “singularities.”

From Scientific American

What made it possible was a special feature of the geometry of spacetime that Lentz discovered buried in the general theory of relativity—more precisely, in Einstein’s field equations.

From Scientific American

Similarly, Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity could not explain why the universe is so flat when accepted laws of physics indicate that it should curve.

From Salon

They might have been a quirk of the complicated math used in the then still young general theory of relativity, which describes gravity.

From Scientific American

Their detailed properties provide numerous tests of Albert Einstein’s general theory of relativity, including some of the strongest evidence to date for the existence of black holes.

From Scientific American

Related Words

• relativity