radio wave

noun

: an electromagnetic wave with radio frequency

Examples of radio wave in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
What looks like a neon pink treble clef floating out in space is actually a bizarre source of radio waves spotted deep in the cosmos. — Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026 At some point around three billion years after the big bang, some celestial object in a faraway galaxy suddenly went pop and shot out a brief-but-powerful blast of radio waves, lasting just a fraction of a second. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 8 Oct. 2026 The company did so after acquiring a slice of radio waves from Grain Management, a private investment firm that bought the spectrum from T-Mobile. — Michael Kan, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026 The second problem is that radio waves don’t travel well through the body. — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 30 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for radio wave

Word History

First Known Use

1915, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of radio wave was in 1915

Rhymes for radio wave

See All Rhymes for radio wave

Browse Nearby Words

radiovision
radio wave
radish
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Radio wave.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/radio%20wave. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

radio wave

noun
: an electromagnetic wave with radio frequency

Medical Definition

radio wave

noun
ra·​dio wave ˈrād-ē-ō-ˌwāv How to pronounce radio wave (audio)
: an electromagnetic wave with radio frequency

More from Merriam-Webster on radio wave

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about radio wave

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