Jump To:

• galaxy
  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.

---

Galaxy ¹ 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

---

galaxy ² 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

---

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.

---

galaxy Cultural  

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

---

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

Another guest gushed about something more romantic: Aschenbrenner’s promise to buy his wife a galaxy.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Under a straightforward Newtonian picture, stars orbiting farther from the center of a galaxy should travel more slowly.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Across the universe, gravity acts as an invisible framework that influences how galaxies, galaxy clusters, and the largest cosmic structures form and evolve.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

The results indicated that UGC 9050-Dw1 contains a large amount of dark matter, as astronomers had expected for an ultra-diffuse galaxy.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

Pleiades Corp designed these luxury vessels to take rich people across the galaxy in comfort.

From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera

The victim bought a refurbished Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra online, and security experts say it was likely laden with spyware.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026

Lozano, who received a standing ovation from the fans when his name was called among the starting 11, remained active and engaged throughout the match in which the Galaxy returned to the winning column.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

He joined the Galaxy on loan through December, with an option to make the move a permanent transfer.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 20, 2026

Investors demanded yields of almost 10% on a $3.5 billion junk-bond sale last month from Galaxy Digital to build a Texas data center leased to CoreWeave.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026

From the Sun to the center of the Milky Way Galaxy is 30,000 light-years.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan

He planned to save money now so he could spend on galaxies, he told them, and make his mark across the universe.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

He once left the room and they debated whether he was referring to physical galaxies or a type of private plane.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026

Future measurements of the CMB, together with larger surveys of galaxies, should allow astronomers and physicists to test gravity with even greater precision.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 25, 2026

Astronomers have long predicted that such streams should exist around other galaxies, but their extreme faintness has made them difficult to detect.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 24, 2026

According to this theory of inflation, it is the nonzero zero-point energy that created the stars and galaxies.

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