megawatt

[meg-uh-wot]

noun

Electricity.

1. a unit of power, equal to one million watts. MW

megawatt

/ ˈmɛɡəˌwɒt /

noun

1. MW. one million watts

megawatt

1. A unit of power: one million watts. A typical large electrical generating plant can produce a thousand megawatts of electricity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of megawatt¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; mega- + watt

Example Sentences

Paluel is one of France's largest nuclear power plants, with each of its four units generating over 1,300 megawatts of power.

From BBC

The Kern River No. 3 Hydroelectric Project has a generating capacity of 40.2 megawatts, enough to supply approximately 48,000 homes.

From Los Angeles Times

Given he’s been a megawatt star for more than half a century, it’s odd to think that Rod Stewart has opinions on anything as Johnny-come-lately as the Department of Government Efficiency.

From Salon

Ormat acquired Guadeloupe's plant from the French government in 2017 and is currently expanding it to boost its capacity to 25 megawatts.

From BBC

For decades, economies of scale drove reactors to grow beyond 1,000 megawatts.

From Los Angeles Times