stellar
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the stars; consisting of stars.
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like a star, as in brilliance, shape, etc.
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pertaining to a preeminent performer, athlete, etc.
adjective
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of, relating to, involving, or resembling a star or stars
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of or relating to star entertainers
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informal outstanding or immense
companies are registering stellar profits
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stellar
First recorded in 1650–60; from Late Latin stellāris, from stell(a) “star” ( see also star) + -āris -ar 1
Explanation
Meaning outstanding, wonderful, better than everything else, stellar is a word of praise or excitement. Thomas Edison invented many things, but his stellar achievement might have been the light bulb. Stellar literally means "like a star." When it comes time for your debut on Broadway, you will sure hope that the reviews say that you delivered a stellar performance. You could also use stellar to talk about actual stars, of course, or you could even blend the two: enjoy the stellar beauty of your beloved under the stellar light of a moonless night.
Vocabulary lists containing stellar
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.
Nvidia turned in a stellar earnings report and forecast, and Fed Chair Kevin Warsh made his policy framework a bit more transparent.
From Barron's ● Aug. 29, 2026
Add in Alaska Airlines’ new nonstop flights from Seattle to Athens and Paris and Delta’s plans to fly nonstop between Austin, Texas, and Paris, and you’ve got a stellar summer 2027 lineup.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 28, 2026
Not a stellar look for a politician relatively new to elected office.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 28, 2026
The opening track, “Jungle Roux,” is another stellar example of this.
From Salon ● Aug. 25, 2026
Later, the stars wander out of their nursery to seek their fortunes in the Milky Way, stellar adolescents still surrounded by tuffs of glowing nebulosity, residues still gravitationally attached of their amniotic gas.
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.
