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Examples of general relativity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These unseen dimensions lend rigor to string theory by supplementing the four dimensions—three of space and one of time—described in Einstein’s general relativity.
—Pamela Weintraub, Discover Magazine, 28 June 2023
Quantum theory typically deals with the universe in tiny chunks, or quanta, while general relativity takes the cosmos to be continuous even at the smallest scales.
—Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 19 Aug. 2023
Written two decades before Einstein proposed general relativity and curved spacetime and long before anyone thought to contemplate realistic time travel from a scientific perspective, Wells didn’t go into any detail about the mechanics.
—Jennifer Ouellette and Sean M. Carroll, Ars Technica, 24 Nov. 2023
That tradition was threatened early in the 20th century when physicists realized that general relativity and quantum mechanics—the two leading ways of describing the world—were in key ways incompatible with each another.
—Adam Frank, Discover Magazine, 12 July 2023
That was until Einstein came along with general relativity and described how gravity emerged out of the interaction between mass and the fabric of spacetime.
—Conor Feehly, Discover Magazine, 22 June 2023
This result is a noteworthy advance in the mathematical exploration of general relativity — a pursuit that continues to pay dividends more than a century after Einstein devised his theory.
—Steve Nadis, Quanta Magazine, 30 Nov. 2023
Dark energy does help the universe add up but only on the macro scale—the one that falls under the jurisdiction of general relativity.
—Richard Panek, Scientific American, 14 Nov. 2023
Thorne says that the paper is particularly staggering, given contemporary work from an even more famous physicist—the one who developed general relativity in the first place.
—Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 21 July 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'general relativity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1916, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of general relativity was
in 1916
Dictionary Entries Near general relativity
Cite this Entry
“General relativity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general%20relativity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.
Kids Definition
general relativity
nounMore from Merriam-Webster on general relativity
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about general relativity
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