noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/dɪˈfɹækʃən/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 F R AE1 K SH AH0 N
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
The bending of a wave around an obstacle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
The breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure (e.g. a slit), followed by reconstruction of the wave by interference.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
Qualifier: quantum mechanics
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
when light passes sharp edges or goes through narrow slits the rays are deflected and produce fringes of light and dark bands
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: optical phenomenon
Narrower terms: X-ray diffraction
History
Etymology
From New Latin diffrāctiō (in which coined by Francesco Maria Grimaldi), from Latin diffrāctus, past participle of Latin diffringo (“to shatter, to break into pieces”). Coined in Physico-mathesis de lumine (1665) by Francesco Maria Grimaldi.
Across languages
Translations
24 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
дифракция
(difrakcija)
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Catalan:
difracció
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Chinese Mandarin:
衍射
(yǎnshè)
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Chinese Mandarin:
繞射 /绕射
(ràoshè)
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Czech:
difrakce
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Czech:
ohyb
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Esperanto:
difrakto
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Finnish:
diffraktio
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Finnish:
taipuminen
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
French:
diffraction
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
German:
Beugung
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Greek:
διάθλαση
(diáthlasi)
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Hindi:
विवर्तन
(vivartan)
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Indonesian:
difraksi
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Italian:
diffrazione
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Kazakh:
дифракция
(difraksiä)
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Māori:
raurahatanga
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Māori:
rorahatanga
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Polish:
dyfrakcja
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Russian:
дифра́кция
(difrákcija)
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Spanish:
difracción
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Thai:
การเลี้ยวเบน
(gaan-líao-been)
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Vietnamese:
nhiễu xạ
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
Welsh:
diffreithiant
— the breaking up of an electromagnetic wave as it passes a geometric structure
