Etymologically
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bandwidth

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 26 October 2026 at 01:49. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • /ˈbændwɪdθ/, /ˈbændwɪtθ/[1]

Etymology

It is a compound from English band + width,[2][3][4] with band in the sense of a strip.[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

The width of a band of colour or material, measured from side to side: 1885, in Symons's Monthly Meteorological Magazine.[2]

Semantic evolution

In physics the word was used from 1913 for a range of frequencies or wavelengths between two limits,[2] and since 1925, in radio engineering, for the difference between the two limiting frequencies.[2] Etymonline dates this use in electronics to 1930,[3] and Dictionary.com to 1925–30,[4] while Merriam-Webster's first known use is 1902.[5] From 1970 the word was applied to the maximum rate at which data can be transferred along a path.[2] Since 1988 it has also been used figuratively of the time, energy or mental capacity that a person has for a task.[2]

Timeline

  • 1885 – the width of a band of colour or material.[2]
  • 1902 – first known use, according to Merriam-Webster.[5]
  • 1913 – a range of frequencies or wavelengths.[2]
  • 1925 – the difference between two limiting frequencies.[2]
  • 1970 – the maximum rate of data transfer.[2]
  • 1988 – figurative, the time, ability or energy available for a task.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. A range of frequencies or wavelengths, especially the difference between the highest and lowest frequencies of a band used in telecommunications.[5][6][2]
  2. The capacity of a network or connection to transfer data, measured as the maximum rate of transfer.[5][6][2]
  3. Informally, the time, energy or mental capacity a person has for dealing with something: I don't have the bandwidth for another project this month.[2]

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  5. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  6. ^ a b Soanes, Catherine; Stevenson, Angus, eds. (2004), Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 11th ed., Oxford: Oxford University Press