Meanings
noundark energy (uncountable)
- uncountableastronomyA hypothetical form of energy thought to be spread uniformly throughout space (and time) and to have anti-gravitational properties: it represents a possible mechanism for the cosmological constant, and thus is one of the possible explanations for the current accelerating rate of expansion of the universe; and it is estimated to account for about 74% of the mass-energy of the universe.
1 more example
Even Albert Einstein, who first proposed it as the Cosmological Constant in his 1916 General Theory of Relativity, doubted dark energy existed. He called it his "greatest blunder". Now, after a five-year survey of nearly 240,000 galaxies reflecting eight billion years of cosmic history, a team of astrophysicists has shown the elusive force exists. The data were obtained using the Anglo-Australian Telescope, and 26 scientists contributed to the so-called WiggleZ Dark Energy Survey.
2011 May 20, “After study of 240,000 galaxies, dark energy comes to light”, in The Australian
Origin
Coined by American cosmologist Michael Turner in 1998, in reference to the earlier term dark matter.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans donker energie
- donker energiehypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Arabic طاقة مظلمة
- طاقة مظلمةhypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Basque energia ilun
- energia ilunhypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Bulgarian тъмна енергия
- тъмна енергия (tămna energija)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Catalan energia fosca
- energia foscahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Chinese Mandarin 暗能量
- 暗能量 (àn néngliàng)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Czech temná energie
- temná energiehypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Danish mørk energi
- mørk energihypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Dutch donkere energie
- donkere energiehypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Esperanto malluma energio
- malluma energiohypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Estonian tumeenergia
- tumeenergiahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Finnish pimeä energia
- pimeä energiahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
French énergie sombre, énergie noire
- énergie sombrehypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
- énergie noirehypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
German Dunkle Energie
- Dunkle Energiehypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Greek σκοτεινή ενέργεια
- σκοτεινή ενέργεια (skoteiní enérgeia)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Hebrew אנרגיה אפלה
- אנרגיה אפלהhypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Hindi गुप्त ऊर्जा
- गुप्त ऊर्जा (gupt ūrjā)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Hungarian sötét energia
- sötét energiahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Indonesian energi gelap
- energi gelaphypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Italian energia oscura
- energia oscurahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Japanese ダークエネルギー, 暗黒エネルギー
- ダークエネルギー (dākuenerugī)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
- 暗黒エネルギー (ankoku enerugī)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Korean 암흑 에너지
- 암흑 에너지 (amheuk eneoji)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Latvian tumšā enerģija
- tumšā enerģijahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Lithuanian tamsioji energija
- tamsioji energijahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Malay tenaga gelap
- tenaga gelaphypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Norwegian mørk energi
- mørk energihypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Persian انرژی تاریک
- انرژی تاریک (enerži-ye târik)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Polish ciemna energia
- ciemna energiahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Portuguese energia escura, energia negra
- energia escurahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
- energia negrahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Romanian energie întunecată
- energie întunecatăhypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Russian тёмная эне́ргия
- тёмная эне́ргия (tjómnaja enɛ́rgija)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Slovak temná energia
- temná energiahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Spanish energía oscura
- energía oscurahypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Swedish mörk energi
- mörk energihypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Tamil கருப்பு ஆற்றல்
- கருப்பு ஆற்றல் (karuppu āṟṟal)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Turkish karanlık enerji
- karanlık enerjihypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Ukrainian темна енергія
- темна енергія (temna enerhija)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Urdu تاریک توانائی
- تاریک توانائی (tārek tvānāī)hypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Vietnamese năng lượng tối
- năng lượng tốihypothetical form of energy which, it is supposed, is spread uniformly throughout space and time and has anti-gravitational properties
Cite this entry
APA
dark energy. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dark%20energy
MLA
“dark energy.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dark%20energy. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “dark energy,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/dark%20energy.
Source: dark energy on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.