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• galaxy
  galaxy

  noun
• 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

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-

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

"We are all working together to solve the astrophysics questions about how these black holes get their fuel and how they interact with their host galaxy."

From Science Daily ● Jul. 18, 2026

ARLINGTON, Texas — In a World Cup boasting a galaxy of stars, a lunch-bucket team of blue-collar everymen may wind up outshining them all.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026

The books take place in a galaxy where space travel is fast and many people live in indentured servitude to giant corporations.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

In dwarf galaxies, the process creates dark matter cores with relatively low central densities, matching recent observations of galaxy clustering.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026

I'd forgotten Daoud lived on planet Daoud in the galaxy of Daoud in the universe of Daoud, of which he was the absolute center.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

The importance of the site to science and the community has seen it immortalised in popular science fiction works from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy to Doctor Who.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

Samsung’s new Galaxy Z Fold8 features a wider, passport-like shape that matches analyst reports of Apple’s anticipated folding iPhone.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 22, 2026

The most innovative device unveiled Wednesday is the Galaxy Z Fold8.

From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026

Known as the 'Beckham rule', it was introduced when the ex-England captain joined Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.

From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026

Some similar chemistry must have occurred on a billion other worlds in the Milky Way Galaxy.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

The e-Merlin network is part of a pan-European network of telescopes - without it, images of distant stars and galaxies will be less clear.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The UK will no longer participate in research at the James Clark Maxwell Telescope in Hawaii, which scientists are using to image supermassive black holes at the centre of galaxies.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

The observatory and its network of telescopes have been pivotal to the country's study of distant galaxies and training future astronomers.

From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026

At the same time, matter has organized itself into increasingly elaborate structures, from galaxies and stars to planets and living organisms.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026

He let his eyes drift toward the Tower—its black, devilishly complicated stonework mimicking the whorls of galaxies and the trajectories of stars; its small, round windows winking outward like eyes.

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill