asterisk

1 of 2

noun

as·​ter·​isk ˈa-stə-ˌrisk How to pronounce asterisk (audio)
 especially in plural also nonstandard  -ˌrik
plural asterisks
1
: the character * used in printing or writing as a reference mark, as an indication of the omission of letters or words, to denote a hypothetical or unattested linguistic form, or for various arbitrary meanings
2
: the character * thought of as being appended to something (such as an athletic accomplishment included in a record book) typically in order to indicate that there is a limiting fact or consideration which makes that thing less important or impressive than it would otherwise be
But the men's triumph came with an asterisk: The Soviets, three-time gold medalists, had boycotted the Games.Brad Young
3
: someone or something considered too minor for prominent mention : footnote
At fifty-four, he had followed war from the hills of Italy to the islands of the Pacific to the mountains of Korea, and countless other places already becoming asterisks in the history books.William Prochnau
asteriskless adjective

asterisk

2 of 2

verb

asterisked; asterisking; asterisks

transitive verb

: to mark with an asterisk : star

Did you know?

If someone asked you to associate the word asterisk with a heavenly body, you would probably have no problem relating it to a star - even if you didn't know that the word asterisk derives from "asteriskos," a Greek word meaning "little star." "Asterisk" has been a part of the constellation of English since at least the late 1300s, but it is far from the only shining star in our language. The Greek forms astēr, "astro," and "astrum" (all of which mean "star") still cast their light in English by way of such words as "asteroid," "astral," and "disaster" (which originally meant "an unfavorable aspect of a planet or star"). Even "star" itself is a distant relative of "asterisk."

Examples of asterisk in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
So the calculation is generally on target, albeit with an asterisk for a lack of clarity about what size the household is. Journal Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2024 There are four clues in this theme set, each marked with an asterisk, at 20- and 39-Across and at 11- and 29-Down. Caitlin Lovinger, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024 Projected winners are marked with red asterisks (***). Clayton Davis, Variety, 22 Dec. 2023 The latest submissions with an *asterisk have not been verified by The Bee. Hanh Truong, Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 In conversations about grizzly bear recovery in the Lower 48, the Bitterroot ecosystem has long been accompanied by an asterisk. Katie Hill, Outdoor Life, 18 Jan. 2024 With several asterisks, qualification and caveats, Mickey Mouse in his earliest form will be the leader of the band of characters, films and books that will become public domain as the year turns to 2024. Andrew Dalton, Fortune, 23 Dec. 2023 However, there is an important asterisk in all of this. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2023 Some more book-vs-show, internal-vs-external stuff going on here; in the books, channelers can definitely, 100% for sure, tell the difference between being shielded (temporary) and being stilled (permanent, with an asterisk). Andrew Cunningham & Lee Hutchinson, Ars Technica, 29 Sep. 2023
Verb
The game validated all of the improvement that was asterisked by the low level of Ohio State's competition since the loss to Oklahoma. Mary Kay Cabot, cleveland.com, 31 Oct. 2017 The movie made $60 million domestically (another $40 million internationally, asterisked by the fact that this was the era before international box-office dominated performance) on a budget of $66 million. Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 May 2017

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

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English asterichos, astarisces (plural), borrowed from Late Latin asteriscus, borrowed from Late Greek asterískos, going back to Greek, diminutive of aster-, astḗr "star" — more at star entry 1

Verb

derivative of asterisk entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1612, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1733, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of asterisk was in 1612

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Dictionary Entries Near asterisk

Cite this Entry

“Asterisk.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/asterisk. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

asterisk

noun
as·​ter·​isk
ˈas-tə-ˌrisk
: a symbol * used especially to refer a reader to a note
Etymology

Noun

Middle English astarisc "asterisk," derived from Greek asteriskos, literally "little star," from aster-, astēr "star"

More from Merriam-Webster on asterisk

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