ScienceJuly 10, 2026

spacetime

/ˈspeɪs.taɪm/

Definition

The four-dimensional continuum that combines the three dimensions of space with the one dimension of time into a single framework used to describe physical reality.

Etymology

The word is a 20th-century compound formed by combining 'space' (from Latin 'spatium') and 'time' (from Old English 'tīma'). It emerged in modern physics as a direct translation of Hermann Minkowski's German term 'Raumzeit' to describe Einstein's theory of relativity.

In the news

In this article, spacetime is mentioned as the medium through which subatomic particles move as both solid objects and waves. Understanding how these particles behave within this framework is central to the research conducted at the Cold Atom Laboratory.

NASA is creating a fifth state of matter on the ISS, thanks to an upgrade to a mini-fridge-sized quantum lab

Read the full article ↗

Live Science

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