Kardashev scale

proper noun

A scale that measures the technological level of a civilization by the extent of its energy consumption.

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Meanings

proper nounthe Kardashev scale
  1. A scale that measures the technological level of a civilization by the extent of its energy consumption.

    Let us think of an ethical scale for civilizations in the same spirit as the Kardashev scale. I'll modestly call it the Hall scale.

    2012, John R. Shook, Liz Stillwaggon Swan, Transformers and Philosophy: More than Meets the Mind, Open Court, →ISBN, page 10
    1 more example

    Earth's civilization during the late twentieth century when the Kardashev scale was first proposed, utilizing roughly 15 terawatts globally, would have been defined as approximately K0.71.

    2014, Ian Douglas, Dark Matter (Star Carrier, Book 5), HarperCollins UK, →ISBN

Origin

Named after Russian astrophysicist Nikolai Kardashev (1932–2019).

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

Kardashev scale. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kardashev%20scale

MLA

“Kardashev scale.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kardashev%20scale. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Kardashev scale,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Kardashev%20scale.

Source: Kardashev scale on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.