star system

noun

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

star system

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of star system¹

First recorded in 1900–05

Example Sentences

Scientists have found strong evidence of a giant gas planet in the nearest star system to our own.

From BBC

The signs were found in the star system Alpha Centauri by the powerful James Webb Space Telescope.

From BBC

Like the Third Reich had its propaganda machine, “Star Wars” has Imperial News, which operates a lot like Fox’s infotainment beast by shamelessly broadcasting its lies across the star system.

From Salon

Michelin, a French tyre manufacturer, has made a restaurant guide since 1900, with the star system introduced in 1926.

From BBC

This, for her, was the start of the new “star system” that was to infect American politics all the way up to Bill Clinton, a new misdirection that avoided the hard questions in favor of feel-good glad-handing, the glittery spin of politics in the age of TV that created a false consensus.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• galaxy 
• solar system