relativity
noun
rel·a·tiv·i·ty
| \ ˌre-lə-ˈti-və-tē
\
\
plural relativities
Definition of relativity
1a
: the quality or state of being relative
b
: something that is relative
2
: the state of being dependent for existence on or determined in nature, value, or quality by relation to something else
3a
: a theory which is based on the two postulates (1) that the speed of light in a vacuum is constant and independent of the source or observer and (2) that the mathematical forms of the laws of physics are invariant in all inertial systems and which leads to the assertion of the equivalence of mass and energy and of change in mass, dimension, and time with increased velocity
— called also special relativity, special theory of relativity
b
: an extension of the theory to include gravitation and related acceleration phenomena
— called also general relativity, general theory of relativity
Examples of relativity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The Tuareg guide’s point was not merely one of relativity. — Robert Draper, National Geographic, "How a trip through the Sahara reflects Niger’s fragile state," 13 June 2019 In 2012, researchers offered a quantum solution that sacrifices a piece of relativity. — Steve Nadis, Discover Magazine, "We've Found Gravitational Waves. What Will We Learn From Them?," 24 May 2019 And that includes two world wars, the development of Einstein's theory of relativity, quantum physics and nuclear weapons. — William Harwood, CBS News, "50 years later, Apollo 11's "one giant leap" remains a defining moment in human history," 14 July 2019 The other is relativity, which is a theory of gravity and therefore of the universe at the largest scales—planets, stars and galaxies. — The Economist, "How Einstein and Eddington stood against jingoism," 7 June 2019 According to the mathematics of relativity, light traveling through this distortion will change its path, accommodating the universe’s warps and wefts. — Devin Powell, Discover Magazine, "How the 1919 Solar Eclipse Made Einstein the World's Most Famous Scientist," 24 May 2019 Turok, too, remains optimistic that a new era of physics may be just around the corner — one that might produce bold new ideas on the scale of quantum theory and relativity. — Dan Falk /, NBC News, "Why some scientists say physics has gone off the rails," 2 June 2018 But for this test, the research team also ran a version where relativity was replaced with a chameleon f(R) version of gravity. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Alternative theory of gravity makes a nearly testable prediction," 14 July 2019 When relativity was developed in the early part of the 20th century, did people begin to see this problem? — Quanta Magazine, "A Defense of the Reality of Time," 16 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'relativity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for relativity
relativity
noun
English Language Learners Definition of relativity
physics
: a theory developed by Albert Einstein which says that the way that anything except light moves through time and space depends on the position and movement of someone who is watching
See the full definition for relativity in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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