Jupiter

American  

[joo-pi-ter] / ˈdʒu pɪ tər /

noun

1. Also called Jove. the supreme deity of the ancient Romans: the god of the heavens and of weather.

2. Astronomy. the planet fifth in order from the sun, having an equatorial diameter of 88,729 miles (142,796 km), a mean distance from the sun of 483.6 million miles (778.3 million km), a period of revolution of 11.86 years, and at least 14 moons. It is the largest planet in the solar system.

3. Military. a medium-range U.S. ballistic missile of the 1950s, powered by a single liquid-fueled rocket engine.

---

Jupiter ¹ British  

/ ˈdʒuːpɪtə /

noun

1. Greek counterpart: Zeus. (in Roman tradition) the king and ruler of the Olympian gods

---

Jupiter ² British  

/ ˈdʒuːpɪtə /

noun

1. the largest of the planets and the fifth from the sun. It has 67 satellites and is surrounded by a transient planar ring system consisting of dust particles. Mean distance from sun: 778 million km; period of revolution around sun: 11.86 years; period of axial rotation: 9.83 hours; diameter and mass: 11.2 and 317.9 times that of earth respectively See Galilean satellite

---

Jupiter Scientific  

/ jo̅o̅′pĭ-tər /

1. The fifth planet from the Sun and the largest, with a diameter about 11 times that of Earth. Jupiter is a gas giant made up mostly of hydrogen and helium. It turns on its axis faster than any other planet in the solar system, taking less than ten hours to complete one rotation; this rapid rotation draws its atmospheric clouds into distinct belts parallel to its equator. Jupiter has more known moons by far than any other planet in the solar system—as many as 63, with new ones being discovered regularly in recent years—and it has a faint ring system that was unknown until 1979, when the Voyager space probe investigated the planet. A persistent anticyclonic storm known as the Great Red Spot is Jupiter's most prominent feature.

2. See Table at solar system

---

Jupiter ¹ Cultural  

1. In astronomy, the largest planet in the solar system; the fifth major planet from the sun. Jupiter is largely composed of gas es. It is named after the ruler of the Roman gods (see under “Mythology and Folklore”). Jupiter is visible from Earth.

---

Jupiter ² Cultural  

1. The Roman name of Zeus, the most powerful of the gods of classical mythology.

---

Discover More

The fifth and largest planet from the sun (the Earth is third) is named Jupiter.

Compare meaning

How does jupiter compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Jupiter vs. Zeus

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Jupiter

ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer, 'Juice', is humankind's next bold mission to the outer Solar System.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

It will make detailed observations of gas giant Jupiter and its three large ocean-bearing moons - Ganymede, Callisto and Europa.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

"Gas giants like Jupiter must assemble their massive atmospheres while the disk is still substantial enough to supply them, before winds and jets carry that raw material away into space."

From Science Daily ● Sep. 28, 2026

Oracle sent a force majeure notice to the developer, has removed one key development partner and faced local resistance in Project Jupiter.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

On this particular trip Jupiter had determined to find out how hospitable the people of Phrygia were.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

Related Words

• earth