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Synonyms

general theory of relativity

American  

noun

Physics.

  1. relativity2

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of general theory of relativity

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"Like current global navigation systems like GPS, these systems will depend on accurate clocks, and the effects on clock rates can be analyzed with the help of Einstein's general theory of relativity."

From Science Daily • Dec. 30, 2025

Albert Einstein expanded on this in 1916, describing gravitational waves as ripples in the fabric of space-time in his general theory of relativity.

From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2025

In 1919, an expedition to watch a total solar eclipse from an island off the west coast of Africa, helped confirm Einstein's general theory of relativity.

From National Geographic • Oct. 2, 2023

Starting from the principle, Albert Einstein deduced that gravity arises as massive objects warp space and time, a foundation of his 1915 general theory of relativity.

From Science Magazine • Sep. 27, 2023

In fact, the equivalence between gravitational forces and the forces we would feel in an accelerating spaceship is a major feature of Einstein’s later general theory of relativity.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.