faster-than-light

English

Adjective

faster-than-light (comparative form only)

1. (physics) Faster than the speed of light in a vacuum, the theoretical speed limit for travel within the universe.
   • 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: FTL Drive Codex entry:

     Faster-than-light drives use element zero cores to reduce the mass of a ship, allowing higher rates of acceleration. This effectively raises the speed of light within the mass effect field, allowing high speed travel with negligible relativistic time dilation effects.

Usage notes

• This is the form used before a noun. After a noun, the form used is faster than light:

  The laws of physics forbid faster-than-light travel.

  Tachyons travel at speeds faster than light.

Synonyms

• superlumic
• superluminal
• FTL

Derived terms

• FTL

Translations

faster than light is

• Catalan: superlumínic
• French: supraluminique (fr) m or f
• German: superluminar, überlichtschnell
• Icelandic: ljósfrár m, yfir ljóshraða
• Japanese: 超光速 (ja) (chōkōsoku)
• Polish: ponadświetlny m, nadświetlny (pl) m
• Romanian: superluminic
• Spanish: superlumínico, hiperlumínico