outer planet

[ ou-ter plan-it ]

/ ˈaʊ tər ˈplæn ɪt /

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noun Astronomy.

any of the planets in our solar system whose orbits lie beyond the asteroid belt, namely, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune: before its reclassification as a dwarf planet in 2006, Pluto was included among the outer planets.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Compare inner planet. See also giant planet.

Origin of outer planet

First recorded in 1940–45

Words nearby outer planet

outer ear, outer garments, Outer Hebrides, Outer Mongolia, outermost, outer planet, outer product, outersole, outer space, outerwear, outface

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use outer planet in a sentence

The find is the first concrete evidence to the idea that our outer planets could survive the death of the sun.
A newly discovered planet orbiting a dead star offers a glimpse of Earth’s future|Leto Sapunar|October 23, 2021|Popular-Science
Mercury, Venus and the outer planets, with their extreme temperatures and inhospitable chemistry, may have gotten everything wrong.
Mars Was Always Destined to Die|Jeffrey Kluger|September 21, 2021|Time
Every time an outer planet completes an orbit around its star, some of its closer-in sibling planets complete multiple orbits.
Two exoplanet families redefine what planetary systems can look like|Lisa Grossman|February 5, 2021|Science News
Andy Serkis, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes Do you want to be on the wrong side of history, Academy?
Oscars 2015: The Daily Beast’s Picks, From Scarlett Johansson to ‘Boyhood’|Marlow Stern|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

In fact, Mexico buys and sells more US goods than any other country on the planet except for Canada.
Why Mexicans Are Enraged by Obama’s Big Tuesday Meeting|Ruben Navarrette Jr.|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Good for her—but what a shameful indictment of Planet Fashion.
One Vogue Cover Doesn’t Solve Fashion’s Big Race Problem|Danielle Belton|January 2, 2015|DAILY BEAST
With Batman and Planet of the Apes, you seem to be operating around 15 years ahead of the culture.
Tim Burton Talks ‘Big Eyes,’ His Taste For the Macabre, and the ‘Beetlejuice’ Sequel|Marlow Stern|December 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Why was a master photographer recruited to work with one of the most successful liquor brands on the planet?
The Restaurant, Flask, And Photography Worthy of The Macallan Whisky||December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The menace of a thunder-cloud approached as in his childhood's dream; disaster lurked behind the quiet outer show.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The nine barricaded the outer gates and placed in the best positions guns loaded with grape.
The Red Year|Louis Tracy
The others stood silent till they heard the outer door of the apartment close behind him.
Confidence|Henry James
Dobson, mouth agape, struck a little bell on the desk and the orderly stepped in from the outer room.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
Reckoning that Neptune is the outermost planet of the solar system, that system would have a diameter of 5,584 millions of miles.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford

British Dictionary definitions for outer planet

outer planet

noun

any of the planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and (formerly) Pluto, whose orbit lies outside the asteroid belt

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for outer planet

outer planet

Any of the four planets Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, whose orbits lie outside that of Mars. The outer planets are large gas giants. Compare inner planet. See also superior planet.