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perigee

American  
[per-i-jee] / ˈpɛr ɪˌdʒi /

noun

Astronomy.

  1. the point in the orbit of a heavenly body, especially the moon, or of an artificial satellite at which it is nearest to the earth.

perigee British  
/ ˈpɛrɪˌdʒiː /

noun

  1. the point in its orbit around the earth when the moon or an artificial satellite is nearest the earth Compare apogee

"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
perigee Scientific  
/ pĕr′ə-jē /

  1. The point nearest Earth's center in the orbit of the Moon or an artificial satellite.

  2. The point in an orbit that is nearest to the body being orbited.

  3. Compare apogee perihelion

perigee Cultural  

  1. The point in the orbit of a satellite at which it is closest to its parent body. (Compare apogee.)

Other Word Forms

  • perigeal adjective
  • perigean adjective

Etymology

Origin of perigee

First recorded in 1585–95; from French perigée, from New Latin perigēum, perigaeum, from Greek perígeion (sēmeîon) “perigee,” literally “boundary, limit (surrounding the earth),” equivalent to neuter of perígeios “surrounding the earth,” ( peri- peri- + -geios, adjective derivative of gaîa, gê “the earth”)

Compare meaning

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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.

When the Moon is in "perigee" - or near its closest point to Earth - and that coincides with a full Moon, fully illuminated by the sun's light, we call it a supermoon.

From BBC • Dec. 5, 2025

When it is at its closest we call it perigee.

From BBC • Nov. 14, 2024

Full supermoons occur when the orbit of the moon is at perigee - the closest point to Earth in its orbit, which makes the Moon appear bigger and brighter in the night sky.

From BBC • Sep. 17, 2024

In that position, known as perigee, the moon exerts its strongest gravitational pull, and the difference between high and low tides is the greatest.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2024

Although I hadn’t had a seizure since May, the night of the perigee moon—which was now one hundred million miles behind me—I felt disconnected and drained.

From "100 Sideways Miles" by Andrew Smith

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.