1
: of, derived from, relating to, or caused by the sun
2
: measured by the earth's course in relation to the sun
a solar year
also
: relating to or reckoned by solar time
3
a
: produced or operated by the action of the sun's light or heat
solar energy
b
: utilizing the sun's rays especially to produce heat or electricity
a solar house
also
: of or relating to such utilization
solar design
Examples of solar in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Solar flares are only expected to become more common by 2025 as the sun continues to reach its solar maximum.
—
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Those brilliant red spots, say experts, are called solar prominences.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024
More: 2024 solar eclipseSolar eclipse 2024 is today, April 8!
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 8 Apr. 2024
The solar eclipse has come and gone in Arizona, with glasses and solar viewers to spare.
—The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024
In reality, a solar eclipse brings a temporary sharp drop in solar radiation — an event that ham radio operators have been eagerly anticipating for months, with competitions and experiments looking to fill the Earth's suddenly radiation-free ionosphere with radio signals.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
For taking casual photos with a phone before or after totality, use solar film or hold eclipse glasses over the lens to protect it.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024
The largest solar power plant in the world comprises two million mirrors powering one million homes.
—Doug Sundheim, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
The findings also suggest the phenomenon may have implications for sun-obscuring climate solutions such as solar geoengineering.
—Ayurella Horn-Muller, CNN, 30 Mar. 2024
Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 9 Apr. 2024
Those brilliant red spots, say experts, are called solar prominences.
—John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 9 Apr. 2024
More: 2024 solar eclipseSolar eclipse 2024 is today, April 8!
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 8 Apr. 2024
The solar eclipse has come and gone in Arizona, with glasses and solar viewers to spare.
—The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024
In reality, a solar eclipse brings a temporary sharp drop in solar radiation — an event that ham radio operators have been eagerly anticipating for months, with competitions and experiments looking to fill the Earth's suddenly radiation-free ionosphere with radio signals.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 8 Apr. 2024
For taking casual photos with a phone before or after totality, use solar film or hold eclipse glasses over the lens to protect it.
—Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 8 Apr. 2024
The largest solar power plant in the world comprises two million mirrors powering one million homes.
—Doug Sundheim, Forbes, 30 Mar. 2024
The findings also suggest the phenomenon may have implications for sun-obscuring climate solutions such as solar geoengineering.
—Ayurella Horn-Muller, CNN, 30 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'solar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near solar
Cite this Entry
“Solar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/solar. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
solar
adjective
so·lar
ˈsō-lər 
-ˌlär
1
: of, derived from, relating to, or caused by the sun
2
: measured by the earth's course in relation to the sun
solar time
solar year
3
a
: produced or operated by the action of the sun's light or heat
solar energy
b
: using the sun's rays especially to produce heat or electricity
a solar house
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