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Planet goes back to ancient Greek planēt- (literally, "wanderer"), which is derived from planasthai, a Greek verb which means "to wander." The word was originally applied to any of seven visible celestial bodies which appeared to move independently of the fixed stars—the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. In line with astronomical discovery and advancement, planet began to be used specifically of the rocky or gaseous bodies that orbit around the sun—a definition which excluded the moon and the sun but included the Earth and, as they were discovered, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. In 2006, the International Astronomical Union developed a narrower definition of planet, effectively demoting Pluto to the status of a "dwarf planet," a celestial body that is spherical and orbits the sun but is not large enough to disturb other objects from its orbit.
Examples of planet in a Sentence
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
In the 21st century, choosing products that damage the planet can no longer be ascribed to ignorance but to conscious unethical behavior.
—Chris Gallagher, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Anya Taylor-Joy and Chris Hemsworth Unveil Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Details at CinemaCon
Hemsworth, 40, voices Orion Pax while Henry, 42, voices D-16, both bots on the planet Cybertron who are destined to become giant transformer warriors.
—Jack Smart, Peoplemag, 18 Apr. 2024
What this point of view misunderstands is that these approximately 70 years have altered the planet fundamentally and set it on a new trajectory.
—Smithsonian Magazine, 18 Apr. 2024
And the action in Alaska is just one small part of the numerous government actions that environmentalists say are vitally needed to protect the planet.
—Michael D. Shear, New York Times, 18 Apr. 2024
With the help of Chani (Zendaya), a Fremen woman who teaches him about her people’s ways, Atreides seeks to free the planet from the Corrino Empire and get his revenge against the Harkonnen Family who destroyed his family.
—Rudie Obias, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Apr. 2024
As the planet heats up, the complex weather dynamics of the region are shifting and changing in ways that may bring more violent storms.
—Amit Katwala, WIRED, 17 Apr. 2024
The destruction of the Amazon is already disrupting water cycles, warming the planet, and threatening to drive thousands of species to extinction.
—Allison Keeley, The New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'planet.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Planet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/planet. Accessed 22 Apr. 2024.
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planet
noun
Middle English planete "planet," from early French planet (same meaning), from Latin planeta (same meaning), from Greek planēt-, planēs "planet," literally, "wanderer"
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