Star Wars

American  

noun

1. a U.S. weapons research program begun in 1984 to explore technologies, including ground- and space-based lasers, for destroying attacking missiles and warheads.

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Star Wars British  

noun

1. Formal name: Strategic Defense Initiative.   SDI.  (in the US) a proposed system of artificial satellites armed with lasers to destroy enemy missiles in space

2. (modifier; sometimes not capitals) of, relating to, or denoting this system

   Star Wars defence

   star wars policy

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Star Wars ¹ Cultural  

1. A series of popular science fiction motion pictures created by George Lucas. The first trilogy debuted in 1977 with Star Wars: A New Hope. The Empire Strikes Back and The Return of the Jedi followed in the 1980s. Prequels, Episode I: The Phantom Menace and Episode 2: Attack of the Clones, were recently released. The films are noted for combining classic themes of good versus evil with cutting-edge special effects.

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Star Wars ² Cultural  

1. A popular name, taken from the title of a film, for the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) of President Ronald Reagan. “Star Wars” involves the development by the United States of a defense in outer space against intercontinental ballistic missiles.

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Etymology

Origin of Star Wars

C20: popularly named after the science fiction film Star Wars (1977) by George Lucas

Example Sentences

The trail starts in Oregon, where Ed Mansell spent about $20,000 over more than a decade amassing a Star Wars Lego empire, thinking of it as an eventual college fund for his grandchildren.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

"The sky was like Star Wars," she said.

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

By this point I'm starting to look like an extra in a low-budget Star Wars parody – and we are definitely the pre-match entertainment in a pub which is now heaving.

From BBC • Jun. 22, 2026

Two horror films by two young directors have outmuscled an honest-to-Grogu Star Wars to become the early box office surprises of the summer.

From Slate • Jun. 15, 2026

Oliver started humming the Star Wars theme song.

From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser