wavelength

American  

[weyv-lengkth, -length, -lenth] / ˈweɪvˌlɛŋkθ, -ˌlɛŋθ, -ˌlɛnθ /

Or wave length

noun

• wavelengths
  plural

1. Physics. the distance, measured in the direction of propagation of a wave, between two successive points in the wave that are characterized by the same phase of oscillation.

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idioms

1. on the same wavelength, in sympathy or rapport.

   We seemed to be on the same wavelength from the moment we met.

wavelength British  

/ ˈweɪvˌlɛŋθ /

noun

1.  λ.  the distance, measured in the direction of propagation, between two points of the same phase in consecutive cycles of a wave

2. the wavelength of the carrier wave used by a particular broadcasting station

3. informal having similar views, feelings, or thoughts (as someone else)

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wavelength Scientific  

/ wāv′lĕngkth′ /

1. The distance between one peak or crest of a wave and the next peak or crest. It is equal to the speed of the wave divided by its frequency, and to the speed of a wave times its period.

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wavelength Cultural  

1. The distance between crests (or troughs) of a wave.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• wavelengths
  plural

Etymology

Origin of wavelength

First recorded in 1855–60; wave + length

Explanation

A wavelength is the distance between two peaks in a wave. And, if you are on the same wavelength with someone else, you are in sync and share the same perspective. You can say, "My best friend and I are on the same wavelength," meaning you truly understand each other and tend to see the world in the same way. This meaning has been around since the 1920s, but originally wavelength had only its scientific definition, "the distance between two peaks of a wave." Wavelengths can be measured on anything that travels in waves, like sound, light, or water. The Old English root word is wagian, "to move back and forth."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wavelength wavelengths

Shorter blue wavelengths scattering more easily, while more of the longer wavelength red light reaches the moon.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

"The expanded wavelength coverage our method offers will support many important atomic operations, making chip-scale atomic sensors, optical clocks, and ion-trap systems possible," Chen says.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026

Its principal task was to show that the gravitational pull of the sun increased the wavelength of light rays, the so-called red shift, which would help verify Einstein’s theory of relativity.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 24, 2026

We liked working together, and he saw that we had a similar wavelength, and he just kind of tossed it up, like, ‘Hey, how would you feel about scoring a feature?’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026

Figure 3.5: Since the sounds are travelling at about the same speed, the one with the shorter wavelength 11waves11 more frequently; it has a higher frequency, or pitch.

From "Understanding Basic Music Theory" by Catherine Schmidt-Jones and Russel Jones

At the same frequency, phonons have much shorter wavelengths than light, making it possible to build considerably smaller components and pack them more tightly together.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

Newer trackers have higher-intensity LEDs with additional wavelengths to improve data capture on all skin tones.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 6, 2026

Shorter blue wavelengths scattering more easily, while more of the longer wavelength red light reaches the moon.

From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026

The researchers exposed the animals to several different wavelengths of light and tracked how their eyes changed.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 26, 2026

At many wavelengths the clouds and atmosphere of Venus are entirely transparent to radio waves.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Related Words

• acumen
• intuition
• judgment
• observation
• understanding
• vision
• wisdom