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Star Wars

American

noun

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

Star Wars British

noun

Formal name: Strategic Defense Initiative. SDI. (in the US) a proposed system of artificial satellites armed with lasers to destroy enemy missiles in space
(modifier; sometimes not capitals) of, relating to, or denoting this system

Star Wars defence
star wars policy

"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

Star Wars ¹ Cultural

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.

Star Wars ² Cultural

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.

Etymology

Origin of Star Wars

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

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.

A nasty spat over a huge collection of allegedly stolen Star Wars Lego sets has turned this quiet suburb upside down.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 26, 2026

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

From Barron's • Jun. 26, 2026

Mansell wanted to sell his father's rare Star Wars Lego collection on consignment, meaning Ed would still be its legal owner until a buyer was found.

From BBC • Jun. 18, 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

The blue comforter beneath him was covered with Star Wars ship schematics.

From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023