Phrase guide

special relativity

noun · 2 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

A theory that (neglecting the effects of gravity) reconciles the principle of relativity with the observation that the speed of light is constant in all frames of reference.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

Qualifier: relativity

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

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

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: special theory of relativity, special relativity theory, Einstein's special theory of relativity

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: relativity, theory of relativity, relativity theory, Einstein's theory of relativity

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

29 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Belarusian: спецыяльная тэорыя адноснасці (spjecyjalʹnaja teóryja adnósnasci) — physics theory
  • Belarusian: спецыяльная тэорыя рэлятыўнасці (spjecyjalʹnaja teóryja reljatywnasci) — physics theory
  • Chinese Mandarin: 狹義相對論 /狭义相对论 (xiáyì xiāngduìlùn) — physics theory
  • Dutch: speciale relativiteitstheorie — physics theory
  • Finnish: erikoinen suhteellisuusteoria — physics theory
  • Finnish: erityinen suhteellisuusteoria — physics theory
  • Finnish: suppea suhteellisuusteoria — physics theory
  • French: relativité restreinte — physics theory
  • Galician: relatividade especial — physics theory
  • Georgian: ფარდობითობის სპეციალური თეორია (pardobitobis sṗecialuri teoria) — physics theory
  • German: Spezielle Relativitätstheorie — physics theory
  • German: spezielle Relativitätstheorie — physics theory
  • Greek: ειδική σχετικότητα (eidikí schetikótita) — physics theory
  • Hindi: विशिष्ट आपेक्षिकता (viśiṣṭ āpekṣiktā) — physics theory
  • Hungarian: speciális relativitáselmélet — physics theory
  • Icelandic: takmarkaða afstæðiskenningin — physics theory
  • Indonesian: relativitas khusus — physics theory
  • Italian: relatività ristretta — physics theory
  • Italian: relatività speciale — physics theory
  • Japanese: 特殊相対性理論 (tokushu sōtaiseiriron) — physics theory
  • Kazakh: арнайы салыстырмалылық теориясы (arnaiy salystyrmalylyq teoriäsy) — physics theory
  • Polish: szczególna teoria względności — physics theory
  • Portuguese: relatividade restrita — physics theory
  • Portuguese: relatividade especial — physics theory
  • Russian: специа́льная тео́рия относи́тельности (speciálʹnaja teórija otnosítelʹnosti) — physics theory
  • Russian: ча́стная тео́рия относи́тельности (částnaja teórija otnosítelʹnosti) — physics theory
  • Serbo-Croatian: специјална теорија релативности — physics theory
  • Serbo-Croatian: specijalna teorija relativnosti — physics theory
  • Spanish: relatividad especial — physics theory