radio waves

Cultural  

1. Waves at the end of the electromagnetic spectrum with the lowest frequency (less than 300 megahertz) and the longest wavelength (from a few feet to many miles). Because of their low frequency, radio waves carry very little energy compared to other electromagnetic waves. (See Planck's constant.)

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Radio waves can pass through the atmosphere and therefore are very useful for communication. Commercial, short-wave, and citizens' band radio are broadcast with radio waves, as is television.

Example Sentences

Shakira gently ushered Spanish into the American radio waves with 2005’s massive “Hips Don’t Lie,” then full throttle with Alejandro Sanz in their reggaeton hit “La Tortura.”

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 18, 2026

This effect occurs when radio waves pass through regions filled with electrons and magnetic fields, causing the waves to shift.

From Science Daily • Feb. 24, 2026

He said that Russian forces attached compact Starlink equipment to the top of the drones, allowing operators to control them via Starlink connection instead of radio waves susceptible to electronic-warfare systems.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

Meanwhile, astronomers complained in 2024 that radio waves from the Starlink network were "blinding" their telescopes and hindering their research.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2026

Indeed, the police make use of the Doppler effect to measure the speed of cars by measuring the wavelength of pulses of radio waves reflected off them.

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