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starlight

American  
[stahr-lahyt] / ˈstɑrˌlaɪt /

noun

  1. the light emanating from the stars.

starlight British  
/ ˈstɑːˌlaɪt /

noun

  1. the light emanating from the stars

"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

adjective

  1. of or like starlight

  2. Also: starlit.  illuminated by starlight

"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 starlight

Middle English word dating back to 1325–75; see origin at star, light 1

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.

Several planets receive levels of starlight similar to what Earth gets from the Sun.

From Science Daily • Mar. 25, 2026

One key step is giving your eyes time to adjust to faint starlight.

From BBC • Feb. 27, 2026

A transit occurs when a planet crosses in front of its star from our point of view, briefly dimming the starlight in a small eclipse.

From Science Daily • Feb. 12, 2026

These detailed observations were combined with advanced computer simulations designed to model how starlight interacts with dust particles.

From Science Daily • Jan. 12, 2026

Though Elena looked fully formed, the edges of her body gleamed as though made from starlight.

From "Throne of Glass" by Sarah J. Maas

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.