light speed
Americannoun
-
Physics, Optics. speed of light.
-
an extremely fast rate.
The rumor circulated at light speed around the town.
adjective
Etymology
Origin of light speed
First recorded in 1855–60
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.
That is swift on Earth but slow compared with winds near the Eddington limit around supermassive black holes, where outflows can reach 20 to 30 percent of light speed, more than 200 million km/h.
From Science Daily ● Nov. 10, 2025
Beyond a certain point—roughly 800 square millimeters, or 1.25 square inches—the laws of light and light speed prohibit larger designs.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 3, 2025
In an aptly titled Associated Press news story “Trump moves with light speed and brute force in shaking the core of what America has been”, Calvin Woodward recounts the last six weeks:
From Salon ● Feb. 27, 2025
“Things have happened at light speed compared to what my forecast was,” founder and CEO Jenny Nguyen told The Associated Press.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 26, 2024
“Look, I’ve heard you talking to Ms. Bethune about angles, light, speed, and all that other photography stuff. It really sounds like you know what you’re doing,” she said.
From "Shooting Kabul" by N. H. Senzai
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.
