bandwidth

Meanings

1. 1noununcountablecomputingtechnical

   The maximum amount of data that a connection can carry in a given time.

   Grammar: Uncountable: not enough bandwidth.

   Patterns

   • enough bandwidth
   • bandwidth for something

   Video calls need a lot of bandwidth.

   The office upgraded its bandwidth.

   Slow bandwidth made the stream freeze.

2. 2nouncountable or uncountablephysicstechnical

   The range of frequencies a signal or channel uses.

   Grammar: Technical sense in physics and engineering.

   Patterns

   • the bandwidth of something

   The radio signal has a narrow bandwidth.

   Engineers measured the bandwidth of the filter.

   Wider bandwidth lets the cable carry more channels.

3. 3noununcountableinformalfigurative

   The time, energy or attention someone has for taking on more work.

   Grammar: Informal workplace use, often with have: I don't have the bandwidth.

   Patterns

   • have the bandwidth for something
   • no bandwidth to do something

   I don't have the bandwidth to take on another project.

   She has the bandwidth to mentor new staff.

   Our team lacks bandwidth this quarter.

Common combinations

limited bandwidth

Limited bandwidth slowed the download.

high bandwidth

The game needs a high bandwidth connection.

have the bandwidth

Do you have the bandwidth for this?

use bandwidth

Streaming uses a lot of bandwidth.

bandwidth usage

Check your bandwidth usage.

Synonyms and how they differ

capacity

Capacity is general and can refer to any ability to hold or handle things.

throughput

Throughput is the actual amount of data moved, not the maximum possible.

time

Time is the plain word for the figurative meaning.

Word family

band noun

a range of frequencies

broadband noun

high-capacity internet connection

Commonly confused: bandwidth or latency? bandwidth or speed?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “bandwidth”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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