Etymologically
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wavelength

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 31 October 2026 at 15:25. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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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