THEORY OF RELATIVITY

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does theory of relativity mean? 

• THEORY OF RELATIVITY (noun)
  The noun THEORY OF RELATIVITY has 1 sense:

1. (physics) the theory that space and time are relative concepts rather than absolute concepts

  Familiarity information: THEORY OF RELATIVITY used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• THEORY OF RELATIVITY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(physics) the theory that space and time are relative concepts rather than absolute concepts

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Synonyms:

Einstein's theory of relativity; relativity; relativity theory; theory of relativity

Hypernyms ("theory of relativity" is a kind of...):

scientific theory (a theory that explains scientific observations)

Domain category:

natural philosophy; physics (the science of matter and energy and their interactions)

Domain member category:

event (a phenomenon located at a single point in space-time; the fundamental observational entity in relativity theory)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "theory of relativity"):

Einstein's general theory of relativity; general relativity; general relativity theory; general theory of relativity (a generalization of special relativity to include gravity (based on the principle of equivalence))

Einstein's special theory of relativity; special relativity; special relativity theory; special theory of relativity (a physical theory of relativity based on the assumption that the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant and the assumption that the laws of physics are invariant in all inertial systems)

 Context examples 

This confirms a major prediction of Albert Einstein's 1915 general theory of relativity and opens an unprecedented new window onto the cosmos.

(Gravitational Waves Detected 100 Years After Einstein's Prediction, NASA)

Relativistic speeds are those approaching the speed of light, as described by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity.

(NuSTAR sees rare blurring of black hole light, NASA)