satellite

American  

[sat-l-ahyt] / ˈsæt lˌaɪt /

noun

• satellites
  plural

1. 

   Astronomy. a natural body that revolves around a planet; a moon.

2. a country under the domination or influence of another.

3. something, as a branch office or an off-campus facility of a university, that depends on, accompanies, or serves something else.

4. an attendant or follower of another person, often subservient or obsequious in manner.

   Synonyms:

   flunky, toady, sycophant, parasite, lackey, associate, companion, supporter, follower

5. a device designed to be launched into orbit around the earth, another planet, the sun, etc.

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adjective

1. of, relating to, or constituting a satellite.

   the nation's new satellite program.

2. using an earth-orbiting satellite to transmit communications signals; transmitted or broadcast by satellite.

   satellite radio and TV.

3. subordinate to another authority, outside power, or the like.

   summoned to a conference of satellite nations.

satellite British  

/ ˈsætəˌlaɪt /

noun

1. a celestial body orbiting around a planet or star

   the earth is a satellite of the sun

2. Also called: artificial satellite. a man-made device orbiting around the earth, moon, or another planet transmitting to earth scientific information or used for communication See also communications satellite

3. a person, esp one who is obsequious, who follows or serves another

4. a country or political unit under the domination of a foreign power

5. a subordinate area or community that is dependent upon a larger adjacent town or city

6. (modifier) subordinate to or dependent upon another

   a satellite nation

7. (modifier) of, used in, or relating to the transmission of television signals from a satellite to the house

   a satellite dish aerial

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verb

1. (tr) to transmit by communications satellite

satellite Scientific  

/ săt′l-īt′ /

1. A small body in orbit around a larger body.

2. See Note at moon

3. An object launched to orbit Earth or another celestial body. Satellites are used for research, communications, weather information, and navigation. The first artificial Earth satellite was Sputnik 1, launched by the Soviet Union in October 1957; the first successful American satellite was launched in January 1958.

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satellite ¹ Cultural  

1. In astronomy, an object, whether natural (such as the moon) or artificial (such as a weather observation satellite), that revolves around a central body. (See under “World Politics.”)

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satellite ² Cultural  

1. Any object in orbit about some body capable of exerting a gravitational (see gravitation) force. Artificial satellites in orbit around the Earth have many uses, including relaying communication signals, making accurate surveys and inventories of the Earth's surface and weather patterns, and carrying out scientific experiments.

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satellite ³ Cultural  

1. In politics, a nation that is dominated politically by another. The Warsaw Pact nations, other than the former Soviet Union itself, were commonly called satellites of the Soviet Union.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• satellited
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• satellites
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of satellite

1540–50; 1955–60 satellite for def. 2; < Latin satellit- (stem of satelles ) attendant, member of bodyguard or retinue

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Explanation

A satellite is something small or less powerful that orbits around something bigger. It often describes a body in space, such as an artificial satellite that orbits the Earth and beams down signals that power devices like cell phones. The word satellite was first used to describe a follower of someone in a superior position. The word's meaning later broadened to describe anything small that's dependent on something larger. The small satellite circles around the more powerful force, like a moon orbiting a planet. Satellite can describe a small country — a satellite country — controlled by a larger one, or a large organization that has a small office — a satellite office — in another location.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

satellite satellites

Low Earth-orbit satellite networks are closer to Earth than traditional constellations, making them ideal to beam low-latency broadband directly to smartphones in parts of the world where cell towers are unavailable.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

It announced in January it was pausing flights to focus on it other business, including development of its larger New Glenn rocket for satellite and other missions, as well as a lunar lander.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 2026

US tech tycoon Elon Musk is "truly a genius" for deploying thousands of satellites into orbit, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, as Moscow seeks to develop its own satellite internet network.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

The company currently offers Starlink Mobile as an add-on with partners across several countries but aims to provide both satellite and ground-based connectivity as a standalone carrier.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 28, 2026

The Buster Friendly Show, telecast and broadcast over all Earth via satellite, also poured down on the emigrants of the colony planets.

From "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?" by Philip K. Dick

Data centers and satellites have allowed the group to diversify its revenue streams and become less tied to carmakers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026

US tech tycoon Elon Musk is "truly a genius" for deploying thousands of satellites into orbit, President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday, as Moscow seeks to develop its own satellite internet network.

From Barron's ● Oct. 28, 2026

By contrast there are only a couple of dozen Rassvet satellites currently in orbit, according to online satellite trackers.

From BBC ● Oct. 28, 2026

After launch, Electron is capable of sending multiple satellites to Earth’s orbit — each along a unique orbital path.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 28, 2026

The difference in the speed of clocks at different heights above the earth is now of considerable practical importance, with the advent of very accurate navigation systems based on signals from satellites.

From "A Brief History of Time: And Other Essays" by Stephen Hawking

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