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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

These included the most precise test of general relativity to date and confirmation of Stephen Hawking's black hole area theorem.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 2, 2026

These understandings include attempts to reconcile general relativity with quantum theory — a challenge explored both in philosophy and popular science discussions.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 8, 2026

As the two black holes orbit each other, they gradually lose energy through the emission of gravitational waves, a process predicted by Einstein's theory of general relativity.

From Science Daily ● Jun. 5, 2026

But those same analyses also made clear how speculative the idea was: within general relativity, such a journey is forbidden.

From Science Daily ● May 22, 2026

The equations of general relativity cannot deal with the sharpness of zero.

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

Unlike Einstein's General Relativity, which describes spacetime as something that can bend or curve, Einstein-Cartan theory also allows spacetime to twist.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 5, 2026

A cosmological constant is a famous part of Einstein's General Relativity theory, and refers to an arbitrary constant that is present in all related field equations.

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