bandwidth
BAND-width
/ˈbænd.wɪdθ/
The maximum data transfer capacity of a network or internet connection; figuratively, mental capacity or availability.
Literally measures network throughput in bits per second; figuratively describes emotional or intellectual capacity to take on tasks.
The story behind the word. Originally a radio engineering term in the 1920s measuring the width of a frequency band, 'bandwidth' was adopted by computer networks to describe data capacity. In the late 1990s, corporate jargon borrowed it metaphorically to describe human working capacity.
Word relationships
- capacity: Capacity refers broadly to total volume or space, whereas bandwidth specifically measures real-time data flow rate or processing availability.
Commonly confused with
- latency: Bandwidth is the width of the pipe (data capacity), whereas latency is the speed at which data travels through that pipe (delay/lag).
Collocations
- high bandwidth
- low bandwidth
- consume bandwidth
- mental bandwidth
Idioms & expressions
- lack the bandwidth
Example sentences
- "If your home connection lacks sufficient bandwidth, your video stream will freeze during large group meetings." High-definition streaming performance
Memory hook
BAND + WIDTH: A wide band lets more information travel through at once. The size of your data pipe.
When not to use
Do not confuse technical bandwidth (data speed/capacity) with storage space (hard drive capacity in gigabytes).
Fun facts
- Saying 'I don't have the bandwidth for this project' migrated directly from computer networking into corporate office talk.
Related words
Explore more words
throughput, bottleneck, latency, Memory, streaming, interval
Take your vocabulary further with LangBlitz
Our English vocabulary app: FSRS spaced repetition, 5,000+ curated words across 119 topic groups, CEFR A1 to C2. Explore your mastery with the beautiful Vocabulary World feature.