curvature
noun
cur·va·ture
ˈkər-və-ˌchu̇r 
-chər,
-ˌtyu̇r,
-ˌtu̇r
2
: a measure or amount of curving
specifically
: the rate of change of the angle through which the tangent to a curve turns in moving along the curve and which for a circle is equal to the reciprocal of the radius
3
a
: an abnormal curving (as of the spine)
b
: a curved surface of an organ
Synonyms
Examples of curvature in a Sentence
The lenses have different curvatures.
the curvature of the earth
The machine measures the eyeball's degree of curvature.
a disease that can cause curvature of the spine
Recent Examples on the Web
The lens design is unique, combining curvature radii on its outer and inner diopter, resulting in more effective optical performance.
—
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Einstein quickly hit on the idea of using general relativity to predict the degree to which light should be deflected by the gravitational field—that is, the curvature of spacetime—around a massive object such as the sun.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2024
The subtle curvature on each side allows the phone to be easily gripped.
—Ben Sin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Alchemist, in fact, has a large planetarium dome that lets its guests dine surrounded by projections of underwater sea life, inside a human body or, appropriately, looking down on the curvature of the earth.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024
In footage of his early graffiti stunts, the images themselves don’t really seem to be the point, any more than the color and curvature of rubber balls are the point of juggling.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
Such incompleteness was a key motivator for Albert Einstein’s efforts to forge a new concept of gravity all his own—his general theory of relativity, which treats gravity as the curvature of spacetime induced by massive objects.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2024
The towers, which will be anchored to the seabed with cables, will be obscured from the beach by fog, weather patterns and the curvature of the Earth, supporters say.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024
Astigmatism occurs when there is an imperfection in the curvature of the eye, resulting in blurry vision.
—Kaitlin Vogel, Health, 21 Dec. 2023
William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024
Einstein quickly hit on the idea of using general relativity to predict the degree to which light should be deflected by the gravitational field—that is, the curvature of spacetime—around a massive object such as the sun.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2024
The subtle curvature on each side allows the phone to be easily gripped.
—Ben Sin, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024
Alchemist, in fact, has a large planetarium dome that lets its guests dine surrounded by projections of underwater sea life, inside a human body or, appropriately, looking down on the curvature of the earth.
—Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 14 Mar. 2024
In footage of his early graffiti stunts, the images themselves don’t really seem to be the point, any more than the color and curvature of rubber balls are the point of juggling.
—Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 4 Mar. 2024
Such incompleteness was a key motivator for Albert Einstein’s efforts to forge a new concept of gravity all his own—his general theory of relativity, which treats gravity as the curvature of spacetime induced by massive objects.
—Paul M. Sutter, Scientific American, 15 Feb. 2024
The towers, which will be anchored to the seabed with cables, will be obscured from the beach by fog, weather patterns and the curvature of the Earth, supporters say.
—Paul Rogers, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024
Astigmatism occurs when there is an imperfection in the curvature of the eye, resulting in blurry vision.
—Kaitlin Vogel, Health, 21 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'curvature.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near curvature
Cite this Entry
“Curvature.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/curvature. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
curvature
noun
cur·va·ture
ˈkər-və-ˌchu̇(ə)r
-chər
1
: the act of curving : the state of being curved
2
: an abnormal curving
curvature of the spine
Medical Definition
curvature
noun
cur·va·ture
ˈkər-və-ˌchu̇(ə)r, -chər, -ˌt(y)u̇(ə)r
2
: a curved surface of an organ (as the stomach) see greater curvature, lesser curvature
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