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Synonyms

star system

American  

noun

  1. the practice of casting and promoting star performers for their ability to draw at the box office.


star system British  

noun

  1. astronomy a group of celestial bodies that are associated as a result of natural laws

  2. the practice of casting one or two famous actors or actresses in a film, play, etc, so that their popularity ensures its success

  3. a design for laying cables for cable television in which each house is fed by an individual cable from a local central distribution point

"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

Etymology

Origin of star system

First recorded in 1900–05

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.

See Examples For:

Tuchel's strict refusal to operate a star system, as well as the emergence of Aston Villa's outstanding Rogers, has made Bellingham's place the subject of intense debate, a notion unthinkable after Euro 2024.

From BBC Jun. 17, 2026

However, researchers found that these signals may become distorted before they ever leave their home star system.

From Science Daily Jun. 16, 2026

No star system, a fault of predecessors, will be employed.

From BBC Feb. 12, 2026

And all those amazing Brazilian actors, most of them are not in the Brazilian star system of telenovelas.”

From Los Angeles Times Feb. 9, 2026

Thy’ve also told me about the star system.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

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