planetary

[plan-i-ter-ee]

adjective

1. of, relating to, or resembling a planet or the planets.

2. wandering; erratic.

3. terrestrial; global.

4. Machinery.,  noting or pertaining to an epicyclic gear train in which a sun gear is linked to one or more planet gears also engaging with an encircling ring gear.

noun

1. Machinery.,  a planetary gear train.

planetary

/ ˈplænɪtərɪ, -trɪ /

adjective

1. of or relating to a planet

2. mundane; terrestrial

3. wandering or erratic

4. astrology under the influence of one of the planets

5. (of a gear, esp an epicyclic gear) having an axis that rotates around that of another gear

6. (of an electron) having an orbit around the nucleus of an atom

noun

1. a train of planetary gears

Other Word Forms

• nonplanetary adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of planetary¹

From the Latin word planētārius, dating back to 1585–95. See planet, -ary

Example Sentences

These coordinated efforts form the backbone of planetary defense.

Read more on Science Daily

The planetary scientist’s house survived, but unseen contaminants could be lurking in the soil.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

At first, there was a sense of awe surrounding the public display of this extraordinary Martian find – less than 400 of the 50,000 meteorites discovered have been shown to come from our planetary neighbour.

Read more on BBC

Finding something in a comet, he said, “doesn’t mean that it can’t be a biosignature in a planetary atmosphere, because those are two very different environments.”

Read more on Salon

But for Qingzu Yin, a professor in the Department of Earth and planetary sciences at UC Davis, the transition is long overdue.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• global 
• terrestrial