Standard Lemma guide

lidar

noun · 5 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

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • US: /ˈlaɪdɑɹ/
  • UK: /ˈlaɪdɑː/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -aɪdɑː(ɹ)

1

noun

Meaning 1

The optical analogue of radar, using intense pulses of laser light to measure the composition and structure of the atmosphere.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable, usually

Examples

  • Tesla bet on the idea that in the design of self-driving cars, lidar doesn't add enough capability, beyond what the cameras already provide, to be worth the additional cost.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: imaging

2

noun

Meaning 2

A device that provides such imaging.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable

Examples

  • There's a lidar mounted on the roof of that Waymo.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Acronym of light detection and ranging.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: abbreviation, acronym, alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

Alternative form of LIDAR.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of, alternative

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

a measuring system that detects and locates objects on the same principle as radar but uses light from a laser; a potential technology for detecting air turbulence that can affect aircraft

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: measuring instrument, measuring system, measuring device

History

Etymology

By anacronymic evolution from LIDAR.

Acronym of light detection and ranging. Synchronically also analyzable as blend of light + radar. The lowercase form (lidar) is by anacronymic evolution.

Across languages

Translations

6 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 激光雷達 /激光雷达 (jīguāng léidá) — optical analogue of radar
  • Finnish: valotutka — optical analogue of radar
  • Finnish: lasertutka — optical analogue of radar
  • Finnish: lidar — optical analogue of radar
  • Polish: lidar — optical analogue of radar
  • Russian: лида́р (lidár) — optical analogue of radar