Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

Proxima Centauri

American  
[prok-suh-muh] / ˈprɒk sə mə /

noun

  1. the nearest star to the sun at a distance of 4.3 light-years, part of the Alpha Centauri triple-star system located in the constellation Centaurus.


Proxima Centauri Scientific  
/ prŏksə-məsĕn-tôrē /
  1. See under Alpha Centauri


Etymology

Origin of Proxima Centauri

< New Latin: nearest (star) of Centaurus

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

The closest star, Proxima Centauri, is marked at the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles to reflect its true distance.

From BBC Jun. 7, 2026

Imagine, he says, wanting to send a single paperclip to our neighboring star, Proxima Centauri.

From The Wall Street Journal Jan. 9, 2026

The closest red dwarf to us is Proxima Centauri.

From Space Scoop Nov. 28, 2025

The closest Earth-like exoplanet to us -- and possibly the most famous -- is Proxima Centauri b, which is only 4 light-years away.

From Science Daily May 23, 2024

Even if I traveled for trillions of miles, I’d barely reach Proxima Centauri, the next closest star after the sun.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training