megawatt

[meg-uh-wot]

noun

Electricity.

1. a unit of power, equal to one million watts. MW

megawatt

/ ˈmɛɡəˌwɒt /

noun

1. MW. one million watts

megawatt

1. A unit of power: one million watts. A typical large electrical generating plant can produce a thousand megawatts of electricity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of megawatt¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; mega- + watt

Example Sentences

A new term, hyperscale, was coined by the tech industry to describe sites where the power requirement runs into tens of megawatts, before gigawatts, a thousand times bigger than megawatts, came on the scene.

From BBC

The farm has a total generation capacity of 4.5 megawatts, about the same as a medium-sized wind turbine.

From BBC

Paluel is one of France's largest nuclear power plants, with each of its four units generating over 1,300 megawatts of power.

From BBC

The Kern River No. 3 Hydroelectric Project has a generating capacity of 40.2 megawatts, enough to supply approximately 48,000 homes.

From Los Angeles Times

Given he’s been a megawatt star for more than half a century, it’s odd to think that Rod Stewart has opinions on anything as Johnny-come-lately as the Department of Government Efficiency.

From Salon