Wiktionary
a. Faster than the speed of light in a vacuum, the theoretical speed limit for travel within the universe.
Wikipedia
Faster-than-light (also superluminal or FTL) communication and travel refer to the propagation of information or matter faster than the speed of light. Under the special theory of relativity, a particle (that has rest mass) with subluminal velocity needs infinite energy to accelerate to the speed of light, although special relativity does not prohibit the existence of particles that travel faster than light at all times ( tachyons).
On the other hand, what some physicists refer to as "apparent" or "effective" FTL depends on the hypothesis that unusually distorted regions of spacetime might permit matter to reach distant locations in less time than light could in normal or undistorted spacetime. Although according to current theories matter is still required to travel subluminally with respect to the locally distorted spacetime region, apparent FTL is not excluded by general relativity. Examples of apparent FTL proposals are the Alcubierre drive and the traversable wormhole, although their physical plausibility is uncertain.
Usage examples of "faster-than-light".
No super-duper faster-than-light space drive for us hardnosed types --so we got some pretty special effects of Helios zooming by stars at near-light speed.
Even at faster-than-light speeds, it will take four and a half days to reach Earth .
And they would have at least eight or nine days, even with the faster-than-light speed of the capsule, before Codep could instruct him on procedures.
Technologies and techniques which may only be deployed by ascended races: means of manipulating spacetime, or of moving faster-than-light.
When this was discovered, several scientists spent several years wondering if a c-vector field could somehow be used as a faster-than-light drive for a spaceship.
The sled floating on its magnetic field ahead of her, she went to the shaft and rode up to outer-shell, as close as she could safely get to the point where the faster-than-light projectiles had breached Aster's Hope's hull.
If there is an elementary particle, or wavicle, of thought, a faster-than-light one like the tachyon might be a good candidate for the honor.
Another curve, similar to the one herewith in shape but derived entirely from speed of transportation, extrapolates to show faster-than-light travel by year 2000.
Deep within the battle site were bright power spikes and giant arcs of energy, side effects of all the ruptured faster-than-light engines.
Its faster-than-light engines roared to life and, a heartbeat later, the ship leaped into warp space and was gone.
In the past, saucer sections had been limited in their maneuverability owing to the fact that the faster-than-light engines remained with the warp-drive section of the ship during separation.
They would have to use conventional drive to move some distance from Paradis and the red star system before they could engage their faster-than-light engines.
It had the first human-built drive system ever to be successfully proved out for a civilian faster-than-light vessel&mdash.
It had the first human-built drive system ever to be successfully proved out for a civilian faster-than-light vessel-well, some of the parts were Heechee, salvaged out of damaged exploration ships, but most of it was human-made.
The merchanters, the faster-than-light freighters, are huge ships, some of the largest being veritable spacefaring villages run by a hierachy of captains, one for each shift, and are matrilinear (but not matriarchal) due to the lifestyle.