geothermal
adjective
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Geothermal comes partly from the Greek thermos, "hot". Most geothermal electricity is provided by power plants situated in areas where there is significant activity of the Earth's great tectonic plates—often the same areas where volcanoes are found. But hot water from deep underground may be used by cities far from volcanoes to heat buildings or sidewalks. And a newer source of geothermal energy relies on a less dramatic kind of heat: Individual homeowners can now install heat pumps that take advantage of the 50°-60° temperature of the soil near the surface to provide heating in cold weather (and air-conditioning in the warm months). These very small-scale geothermal systems may eventually supply more useful energy than the large power plants.
Examples of geothermal in a Sentence
Judith Kohler, Denver Post, 13 Oct. 2025
According to Araque, geothermal energy is available everywhere on massive scales.
—Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 10 Oct. 2025
Types of geothermal energy There are several ways to get energy from deep within the Earth.
—Moones Alamooti, The Conversation, 8 Oct. 2025
And with the rise of artificial intelligence, generative science is accelerating extraordinary solutions — from mapping geothermal resources underground to discovering novel methods of energy storage.
—Melissa Jun Rowley, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for geothermal
Cite this Entry
“Geothermal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/geothermal. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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geothermal
adjective
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