gigawatt

noun

giga·​watt ˈji-gə-ˌwät How to pronounce gigawatt (audio) ˈgi- How to pronounce gigawatt (audio)
: a unit of power equal to one billion watts

Examples of gigawatt in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Globally, over 2,500 gigawatts of projects, including data centers, are stuck in grid connection queues. — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 The goal is 400 gigawatts of nuclear capacity by 2050. — Idaho Statesman, 25 June 2026 One gigawatt is equivalent to 1,000 megawatts, which can power roughly 750,000 to 1 million households. — Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 2 July 2026 OpenAI and Broadcom announced plans to develop custom chips to power 10 gigawatts worth of computing last year, but only unveiled the first chip from that partnership on Wednesday. — Lisa Eadicicco, CNN Money, 24 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for gigawatt

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1962, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of gigawatt was circa 1962

Rhymes for gigawatt

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Browse Nearby Words

gigas
gigawatt
gig back
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Cite this Entry

“Gigawatt.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gigawatt. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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