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  galaxy
• Galaxy
  Galaxy

  noun

  the spiral galaxy, approximately 100 000 light years in diameter, that contains the solar system about three fifths of the distance from its centre See also Magellanic Cloud

galaxy

American  

[gal-uhk-see] / ˈgæl ək si /

noun

• galaxies
  plural

1. Astronomy.

   1. a large system of stars held together by mutual gravitation and isolated from similar systems by vast regions of space.

   2. Often the galaxy or the Galaxy the system of stars in which the earth and the sun are located; the Milky Way.

2. any large and brilliant or impressive assemblage of people or things.

   Guests at the party included a whole galaxy of opera stars.

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galaxy ¹ British  

/ ˈɡæləksɪ /

noun

1. Former names: island universe, extragalactic nebula. any of a vast number of star systems held together by gravitational attraction in an asymmetric shape (an irregular galaxy ) or, more usually, in a symmetrical shape (a regular galaxy ), which is either a spiral or an ellipse

2. a splendid gathering, esp one of famous or distinguished people

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Galaxy ² British  

/ ˈɡæləksɪ /

noun

1. Also known as: the Milky Way System. the spiral galaxy, approximately 100 000 light years in diameter, that contains the solar system about three fifths of the distance from its centre See also Magellanic Cloud

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galaxy Scientific  

/ găl′ək-sē /

1. Any of numerous large-scale collections of stars, gas, and dust that make up the visible universe. Galaxies are held together by the gravitational attraction of the material contained within them, and most are organized around a galactic nucleus into elliptical or spiral shapes, with a small percentage of galaxies classed as irregular in shape. A galaxy may range in diameter from some hundreds of light-years for the smallest dwarfs to hundreds of thousands of light-years for the largest ellipticals, and may contain from a few million to several trillion stars. Many galaxies are grouped into clusters, with the clusters themselves often grouped into larger superclusters.

2. See more at active galaxy See also elliptical galaxy irregular galaxy lenticular galaxy spiral galaxy

3. the Galaxy. The Milky Way.

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galaxy Cultural  

1. A large, self-contained mass of stars.

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Discover More

A common form for galaxies is a bright center with spiral arms radiating outward.

The sun belongs to the galaxy called the Milky Way.

The universe contains billions of galaxies.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• galaxies
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of galaxy

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English galaxie, galaxias, from Medieval Latin galaxia, galaxias, ultimately from Greek galaxías kýklos “the Milky Way”; see cycle, galacto-

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Explanation

A galaxy is a collection of stars and planets that are held together by gravity. In a galaxy, the celestial bodies rotate around a central object. The Earth's galaxy is known as the Milky Way. Our solar system, made up of the Sun and the planets that encircle it, is a tiny part of that galaxy. A galaxy can also refer to a gathering of a lot of sparkly people –– like celebrities or sports stars. What gravity holds this galaxy together? Usually cameras.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

galaxy Galaxy galaxies

Mr. Silvertown calculates that at their seasonal high point there are a thousand times more leaves in one type of British grassland than there are stars in the Milky Way galaxy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

These enormous outflows can carry energy and matter far from the black hole, potentially affecting the surrounding galaxy.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026

"XLSSC 122 has now set the record for the most distant galaxy cluster displaying strong lensing, which is a valuable tool for astronomers."

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Astronomers detect mysterious burst of energy from a galaxy far, far away.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

In that glimpse, I saw an ordinary boy, kind and funny and gentle, whose heart was the brightest star in the galaxy.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Apple’s foldable costs at least $100 more at each level of storage capacity than both Google’s Pixel 11 Pro Fold and Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold8.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026

Galaxy clusters were also becoming increasingly common as smaller systems gradually combined into larger structures.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Galaxy has launched an over-the-counter marketplace for predictions.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026

David Beckham swapped the Galactico comforts of Real Madrid, where he spent four seasons and collected a sole La Liga crown, for a Hollywood welcome at LA Galaxy.

From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026

Unhappily, no supernova explosions have been observed in our Galaxy since the invention of the telescope, and astronomers have been chafing at the bit for some centuries.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

Its galaxies are continuing to come together as the larger cluster takes shape.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Its gravity helps hold galaxies together and shapes the universe's enormous network of galaxy groups, clusters, and filaments.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 13, 2026

Those from deeper in space carry clues about cosmic mysteries, like the supermassive black holes at the heart of galaxies.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

But IceCube is searching for much higher-energy neutrinos, those produced by violent processes far beyond our Solar System — in distant galaxies.

From BBC ● Oct. 6, 2026

In late 1997 astronomers announced that they had used these supernovas to measure the distance to some very dim and ancient galaxies.

From "Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea" by Charles Seife

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