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Showing results for general theory of relativity. Search instead for general+theory+of+relativity.
Synonyms

general theory of relativity

American  

noun

Physics.

  1. relativity2

general theory of relativity British  

noun

  1. the theory of gravitation, developed by Einstein in 1916, extending the special theory of relativity to include acceleration and leading to the conclusion that gravitational forces are equivalent to forces caused by acceleration

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of general theory of relativity

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Cosmologists use Einstein's general theory of relativity along with the Friedmann equations to describe how the universe changes over time.

From Science Daily • Jan. 11, 2026

Albert Einstein expanded on this in 1916, describing gravitational waves as ripples in the fabric of space-time in his general theory of relativity.

From Science Daily • Oct. 18, 2025

As the universe expanded, gravity, as described by Einstein’s general theory of relativity, amplified those variations to create the huge variations we see today in the form of clusters and superclusters of galaxies.

From Scientific American • Oct. 30, 2023

In 1919, an expedition to watch a total solar eclipse from an island off the west coast of Africa, helped confirm Einstein's general theory of relativity.

From National Geographic • Oct. 2, 2023

According to the general theory of relativity, there must have been a state of infinite density in the past, the big bang, which would have been an effective beginning of time.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.