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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:

Scientists believe that S301 was once part of a binary star system that was torn apart by the almighty pull of the black hole.

From Barron's Aug. 20, 2026

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

From Science Daily Jun. 16, 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

If he is, Bellingham will return to duty having been made acutely aware by Tuchel that there is no star system, no special cases, no automatic route back into England's team.

From BBC Oct. 14, 2025

Thy’ve also told me about the star system.

From "I Can Make This Promise" by Christine Day

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