solar system

noun

: the sun together with the group of celestial bodies that are held by its attraction and revolve around it
also : a similar system centered on another star

Examples of solar system in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Sometimes the child who can tell you everything there is to know about dinosaurs or baseball statistics or the solar system grows up to be a groundbreaking scientist or a brilliant entrepreneur. Paul Tough, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 The images also call attention to our advancing knowledge of the Jovian system, and the solar system as a whole, recalling a time when Io was mistakenly seen as an inactive, idle place. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 The Deep Space Network is a system of radio antennas on Earth that help the agency communicate with the Voyager probes and other spacecraft exploring our solar system. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Comets are leftover materials from the formation of the solar system that are made of rock, dust, and ice, Schmoll says. Amy Huschka, Detroit Free Press, 14 Mar. 2024 Its incredibly glossy exterior—the smoothest surface in the solar system—hides a vast liquid ocean underneath. Shi En Kim, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 Mar. 2024 This is particularly critical for astrobiologists planning to look for specific chemicals that indicate that there is alien biology happening on planets beyond the solar system. Popular Science, 7 Mar. 2024 Now Voyager 1 is over 15 billion miles away, beyond what many consider to be the edge of the solar system. Nell Greenfieldboyce, NPR, 6 Mar. 2024 As our solar system's largest explosive events, flares are seen as bright areas on the sun and can last from minutes to hours. Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 23 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solar system.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1704, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of solar system was circa 1704

Dictionary Entries Near solar system

Cite this Entry

“Solar system.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solar%20system. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

solar system

noun
: a star with the group of heavenly bodies that revolve around it
especially : the sun with the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets that orbit it

More from Merriam-Webster on solar system

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