Richter scale

Canada, US/ˈɹɪkt.ɚ skeɪl/

proper noun

A logarithmic scale used to express the energy released by an earthquake, each increase of 1 representing a 31-fold increase in energy, and a 10-fold increase in the measured wave amplitude.

“The students also faced and experienced earthquakes at various Richter scales.”

OriginGerman Richter →
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Meanings

proper nounthe Richter scale
  1. geographyA logarithmic scale used to express the energy released by an earthquake, each increase of 1 representing a 31-fold increase in energy, and a 10-fold increase in the measured wave amplitude.

    “The Richter scale is an old scale developed for California. It is only good for smaller quakes, and is not very good at differentiating the sizes of bigger shocks,” said McGuire.

    2025 March 28, Nicola Davis, quoting Bill McGuire, “What caused Myanmar and Thailand earthquake and how big was it?”, in The Guardian, →ISSN
nounRichter scale (plural Richter scales)

plural Richter scales

  1. A value on the Richter scale.

    The students also faced and experienced earthquakes at various Richter scales.

Origin

  1. GermanRichter“judge”
  2. EnglishRichter scale

Named after American seismologist Charles Richter (1900–1985), whose name derives from German Richter (“judge”).

More words from German

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic مِقْيَاس رِيخْتَر
  • مِقْيَاس رِيخْتَر (miqyās rīḵtar)logarithmic scale
Bulgarian скала на Ри́хтер
  • скала на Ри́хтер (skala na Ríhter)logarithmic scale
Chinese Mandarin 里氏地震規模, 芮氏地震規模 /芮氏地震规模
  • 里氏地震規模 (Lǐ shì dìzhèn guīmó)logarithmic scale
  • 芮氏地震規模 /芮氏地震规模 (Ruǐ shì dìzhèn guīmó)logarithmic scale
  • 黎克特制震級 /黎克特制震级 (Líkètè zhì zhènjí)logarithmic scale
Czech Richterova stupnice, Richterova škála
  • Richterova stupnicelogarithmic scale
  • Richterova škálalogarithmic scale
Dutch schaal van Richter
  • schaal van Richterlogarithmic scale
Finnish Richter-asteikko
  • Richter-asteikkologarithmic scale
French échelle de Richter
  • échelle de Richterlogarithmic scale
German Richterskala
  • Richterskalalogarithmic scale
Greek κλίμακα Ρίχτερ
  • κλίμακα Ρίχτερ (klímaka Ríchter)logarithmic scale
Hawaiian pālākiō ikehu ōlaʻi
  • pālākiō ikehu ōlaʻilogarithmic scale
Hungarian Richter-skála
  • Richter-skálalogarithmic scale
Indonesian skala Richter
  • skala Richterlogarithmic scale
Irish scála Richter
  • scála Richterlogarithmic scale
Italian scala Richter
  • scala Richterlogarithmic scale
Japanese リヒター・スケール
  • リヒター・スケール (Rihitā-sukēru)logarithmic scale
Korean 리히터 규모
  • 리히터 규모 (Rihiteo gyumo)logarithmic scale
Persian مقیاس ریشتر
  • مقیاس ریشتر (meqyâs-e rišter)logarithmic scale
Polish skala Richtera
  • skala Richteralogarithmic scale
Portuguese escala Richter, escala de Richter
  • escala Richterlogarithmic scale
  • escala de Richterlogarithmic scale
Russian шкала́ Ри́хтера
  • шкала́ Ри́хтера (škalá Ríxtera)logarithmic scale
Spanish escala Richter, escala de Richter
  • escala Richterlogarithmic scale
  • escala de Richterlogarithmic scale
Swedish richterskala
  • richterskalalogarithmic scale
Turkish Richter ölçeği
  • Richter ölçeğilogarithmic scale
Ukrainian шкала́ Рі́хтера
  • шкала́ Рі́хтера (škalá Ríxtera)logarithmic scale
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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