galactic
Americanadjective
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Astronomy.
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of or relating to a galaxy.
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of or relating to the Milky Way.
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immense; huge; vast.
a problem of galactic proportions.
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Physiology. pertaining to or stimulating the secretion of milk.
adjective
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astronomy of or relating to a galaxy, esp the Galaxy
the galactic plane
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med of or relating to milk
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of galactic
First recorded in 1830–40, galactic is from the Greek word galaktikós milky. See galact-, -ic
Explanation
Galactic things relate to a galaxy, a complex system of stars, especially the one in which we live. The very middle of our galaxy can be called the galactic center. When something's described as galactic, it usually has something to do with astronomy. The adjective is good for talking about the characteristics of our galaxy, or specifying that something exists within our galaxy. Galactic can also be used informally to simply mean huge: "Did you see the size of their house? It's galactic!" The word, along with galaxy, comes from the Greek phrase galaxias kyklos, "milky circle."
Vocabulary lists containing galactic
Science Fiction Lingo
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A Short History of Nearly Everything
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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.
Virgin Galactic still has about $20 million in notes outstanding, paying annual interest of 9.8%.
From Barron's • Jun. 2, 2026
Virgin Galactic is taking advantage of the recent big rally in its stock, saying it will be issuing shares of common stock to the holders of the notes.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 2, 2026
SpaceX’s move toward a blockbuster IPO rippled throughout Wall Street—lifting space-focused companies like AST SpaceMobile and Virgin Galactic up more than 7%.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026
The voice actor’s death was announced on social media by his talent agency, Galactic Productions.
From Los Angeles Times • May 19, 2026
Galactic collisions distort the shape of an originally spherical cluster and may also contribute to the genesis of spirals and irregulars from ellipticals.
From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
