radio wave
Americannoun
noun
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A very low frequency electromagnetic wave (from roughly 30 kilohertz to 100 gigahertz). Radio waves are used for the transmission of radio and television signals; the microwaves used in radar and microwave ovens are also radio waves. Many celestial objects, such as pulsars, emit radio waves.
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See more at electromagnetic spectrum
Etymology
Origin of radio wave
First recorded in 1915–20
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.
Instead, information about the radio wave can be used.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 9, 2025
"Likewise bits of high ground are better for radio wave propagation, better for co-ordination of drones."
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2025
And a turn toward an alternative radio wave technology proved to be an unnecessary detour in the race to 5G, allowing T-Mobile to amass a two-year advantage.
From Seattle Times ● Oct. 16, 2023
They detected a faint polarised radio wave coming from the galactic cores.
From Space Scoop ● Aug. 3, 2023
I’m not exactly clear about this new idea of his, but the gist of it is that he throws a radio wave in a certain direction, much as a mirror throws a ray of light.
From The Radio Boys at Mountain Pass The Midnight Call for Assistance by Allen Chapman
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.
