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

While most galaxies contain supermassive black holes, only a small fraction produce enormous jets of magnetized plasma that emit radio waves.

From Science Daily • Apr. 13, 2026

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

It can autonomously seek an incoming drone using radio waves, radar or the target’s heat signature.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 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

But there are many other reasons for natural objects to give off radio waves.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan