interstellar

adjective

in·​ter·​stel·​lar ˌin-tər-ˈste-lər How to pronounce interstellar (audio)
: located, taking place, or traveling among the stars especially of the Milky Way galaxy

Examples of interstellar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 2012, Voyager 1 became the first spacecraft to reach interstellar space, followed in 2018 by Voyager 2, according to NASA. Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 15 Mar. 2024 First Evidence of a Recently Active Volcano on Mars Capturing Io’s Volcanic Activity Today, Voyager 1 is far from Jupiter, drifting deeper and deeper into interstellar space. Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 15 Mar. 2024 Both are in interstellar space and are the only spacecraft ever to operate beyond the heliosphere, the sun’s bubble of magnetic fields and particles that extends well beyond the orbit of Pluto. Ashley Strickland, CNN, 14 Mar. 2024 Voyager 1 is currently 15.14 billion miles away (24.4 billion kilometers), flying through interstellar space at a speed of 38,000 miles per hour (23,612 kilometers per hour). Passant Rabie, Quartz, 8 Mar. 2024 Therefore, any object found to be moving along a hyperbola relative to the sun must have come from interstellar space. Karl Schroeder, IEEE Spectrum, 24 Feb. 2024 The team made the interstellar creature using fiberglass and Styrofoam. Grace Tucker, The Enquirer, 27 Jan. 2024 David and Victoria Beckham, who became an item in 1997, may have brought the pop star–sports hero dyad to its modern apogee, making a billion hearts flutter while creating an interstellar expansion in their consumer base. Andrew O’Hagan, The New Yorker, 27 Nov. 2023 Soak up October’s dazzling nightscapes with these can’t miss interstellar sights. Staff Author, Travel + Leisure, 2 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'interstellar.' 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

1626, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of interstellar was in 1626

Dictionary Entries Near interstellar

Cite this Entry

“Interstellar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/interstellar. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

interstellar

adjective
in·​ter·​stel·​lar ˌint-ər-ˈstel-ər How to pronounce interstellar (audio)
: located or taking place among the stars
interstellar space

More from Merriam-Webster on interstellar

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