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wavelength

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Etymology and origin of the English word wavelength

Confidence
Established
Formation
Compound
First attested
1850 Reports of the British Association for the Advancement of Science
Ultimate origin
Old English wafian,lengþu
Etymology tree
inherited borrowed derived
English wave
English wavelength

Pronunciation

  • UK: /ˈweɪvlɛŋ(k)θ/[1]
  • US: /ˈweɪvˌlɛŋ(k)θ/[1]

Etymology

It is formed from English wave + length,[2][3][4][5] also written with a hyphen.[3]

Earliest recorded meaning

The distance between the peaks of successive waves: 1850, in the Reports of the British Association for the Advancement of Science,[2][6][3] at first of the spectra of light.[3]

Semantic evolution

From 1915 a wavelength could also be the electromagnetic waves of a given length.[2] With broadcasting it came to mean the wavelength of the carrier wave used by a radio station, by 1925 in Etymonline.[3][7][2] The figurative phrase on the same wavelength, for people who understand each other, alludes to radio reception and is recorded from 1925 in the OED and by 1927 in Etymonline.[2][3] From 1958 the word was also used of the distance between the ridges of a wave-like surface.[2]

Timeline

  • 1850 – the distance between successive peaks of a wave.[2][6][3]
  • 1915 – electromagnetic waves of a given length.[2]
  • 1925 – the wavelength of a radio station; figuratively, mutual understanding.[2][3]
  • 1958 – the distance between ridges of a wave-like surface.[2]

Meanings

Noun

  1. (physics) The distance between two points of the same phase in successive cycles of a wave, such as from one crest to the next; symbol λ.[7][6][2]
  2. The wavelength of the carrier wave used by a particular broadcasting station.[7][2]
  3. on the same wavelength (informal): sharing someone's way of thinking; understanding each other well: We were on the same wavelength from the first meeting.[7][2]

References

  1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Oxford English Dictionary Online (accessed March 2026), Oxford: Oxford University Press
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles (2002), 5th ed., ed. William R. Trumble and Angus Stevenson, Oxford: Oxford University Press
  5. ^ Dictionary.com Unabridged (2016), based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (2024), online ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  7. ^ a b c d Collins English Dictionary (2023), Glasgow: HarperCollins
Cite this entry

“Wavelength.” Etymologically, 31 Oct. 2026, etymologically.com/en/wavelength. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Last edited on . ·