interstellar
Americanadjective
adjective
Etymology
Origin of interstellar
Explanation
If something happens or is located in between stars, it's interstellar. If you dream of interstellar travel, you're imagining flying through space — and maybe meeting a few extraterrestrials along the way. The area inside a galaxy is often referred to by astronomers as interstellar space. In fact, the adjective interstellar is frequently used in a general way as a synonym for "outer space" or "between solar systems." So if an astronaut is planning an interstellar trip, she may be traveling in space, but she's not literally making a journey from one star to another. The roots of interstellar are inter-, "between," and the Latin stella, or "star."
Vocabulary lists containing interstellar
Oh, My Stars! The Language of Outer Space
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Oh, My Stars! A Solstice Sampler
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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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.
The institute said the researchers also can learn more about the natural properties of interstellar objects as they travel through our solar system.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
Scientists say the new results place tighter limits on existing models of particle acceleration in astrophysical sources and improve our understanding of how high-energy particles move through interstellar space.
From Science Daily • May 14, 2026
So far, scientists have identified only three known interstellar objects entering our solar system, but researchers expect that number to rise as more advanced observatories begin searching the skies.
From Science Daily • May 8, 2026
He described the relative speeds of pandemic-era development as like "interstellar travelling -- inside, China had leapt forwards while outside, global carmakers lagged".
From Barron's • Apr. 27, 2026
Great fleets of interstellar transports would be under construction in Earth orbit—unmanned survey ships, liners for immigrants, immense trading ships to plow the seas of space.
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.
