intergalactic

American  

[in-ter-guh-lak-tik] / ˌɪn tər gəˈlæk tɪk /

adjective

1. of, existing, or occurring in the space between galaxies.

   The science-fiction movie was about an intergalactic war.

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intergalactic British  

/ ˌɪntəɡəˈlæktɪk /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or existing between two or more galaxies

   the dark clouds of intergalactic space

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Etymology

Origin of intergalactic

First recorded in 1925–30; inter- + galactic

Explanation

The adjective intergalactic describes something that's in between galaxies. An intergalactic star, for example, is not inside a galaxy, but between them — it's also called a "rogue star." You can call anything that relates to galaxies, or exists between them, intergalactic. If we were able to travel at the speed of light, intergalactic travel — travel from one galaxy to another — might be possible. The prefix inter- means "between" or "among," and it's followed by galactic, "pertaining to our galaxy," from the Late Latin root galaxias, "the Milky Way."

Example Sentences

McIlroy once blazed onto the scene as a curly-haired kid from Northern Ireland with drives so long they looked intergalactic to the rest of the field.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 9, 2026

When his son Bowser Jr., voiced by filmmaker and actor Benny Safdie, stages a breakout, it sparks an intergalactic chase.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

These systems are also sensitive to environmental effects such as ram-pressure stripping, which can remove gas as they move through intergalactic space.

From Science Daily • Jan. 9, 2026

The centerpiece room of the ship will house a giant interactive screen, in which guests can twist knobs and panels to skip across different intergalactic worlds — or perhaps they’re just dreams.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026

I was prepared to spend my life in a cage as the centerpiece of their intergalactic zoo if it meant never returning to Calypso.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson