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• general relativity
  general relativity

  noun

  relativity2
• General Relativity
  General Relativity

  A geometrical theory of gravity developed by Albert Einstein in which gravity's effects are a consequence of the curvature of four-dimensional space-time. According to this theory, the energy and momentum of all matter and radiation cause curvature in space-time, in a way similar to the creation of electric and magnetic fields by electric charges and currents. This curvature also opens the possibility that the universe is closed, having finite volume but without any boundary. Among the many experimentally confirmed consequences of General Relativity are the perihelion precession of the planet Mercury, the bending of light in a gravitational field, and the slowing of time in a gravitational field.

general relativity

American  

noun

1. Physics. relativity2

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General Relativity Scientific  

/ jĕn′ər-əl /

1. A geometrical theory of gravity developed by Albert Einstein in which gravity's effects are a consequence of the curvature of four-dimensional space-time. According to this theory, the energy and momentum of all matter and radiation cause curvature in space-time, in a way similar to the creation of electric and magnetic fields by electric charges and currents. This curvature also opens the possibility that the universe is closed, having finite volume but without any boundary. Among the many experimentally confirmed consequences of General Relativity are the perihelion precession of the planet Mercury, the bending of light in a gravitational field, and the slowing of time in a gravitational field.

2. See also closed universe equivalence principle Special Relativity

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

general relativity General Relativity

"It is the first time general relativity has been needed to describe the mechanics of a supernova."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 6, 2026

They sit at the heart of how we interpret modern physics and quietly shape everything from how we understand general relativity to how we imagine time travel, multiverses and our origins.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

While speculative extensions of physics — such as exotic forms of matter or modifications of general relativity — have been proposed to support such structures, they remain untested and highly conjectural.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

When scientists use general relativity to calculate collisions at extremely high energies near the Planck scale, the math stops working properly and produces infinities.

From Science Daily ● May 19, 2026

However, in the end most people, including John Taylor, have come to the conclusion that black holes must radiate like hot bodies if our other ideas about general relativity and quantum mechanics are correct.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

At low energies and under conditions of weak spacetime curvature, the equations of Gravity from Entropy reproduce General Relativity.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

Their study was published in the journal General Relativity and Gravitation in October.

From Salon ● Nov. 13, 2024

One of the first experiments frozen positronium could be used for is to see if its antimatter part follows Einstein's Theory of General Relativity in the same way as the matter part.

From BBC ● Feb. 22, 2024

The work validated “Einstein’s General Relativity in situations where gravity is so strong that spacetime is significantly curved,’’ the judges said.

From Seattle Times ● Sep. 11, 2023

Some important conceptual aspects of general relativity are discussed in General Relativity and Quantum Gravity of this course.

From Textbooks ● Aug. 12, 2015