stellar
Americanadjective
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of or relating to the stars; consisting of stars.
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like a star, as in brilliance, shape, etc.
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pertaining to a preeminent performer, athlete, etc.
adjective
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of, relating to, involving, or resembling a star or stars
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of or relating to star entertainers
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informal outstanding or immense
companies are registering stellar profits
Other Word Forms
- nonstellar adjective
- transstellar adjective
Etymology
Origin of stellar
First recorded in 1650–60; from Late Latin stellāris, from stell(a) “star” ( see also star) + -āris -ar 1
Explanation
Meaning outstanding, wonderful, better than everything else, stellar is a word of praise or excitement. Thomas Edison invented many things, but his stellar achievement might have been the light bulb. Stellar literally means "like a star." When it comes time for your debut on Broadway, you will sure hope that the reviews say that you delivered a stellar performance. You could also use stellar to talk about actual stars, of course, or you could even blend the two: enjoy the stellar beauty of your beloved under the stellar light of a moonless night.
Vocabulary lists containing stellar
Oh, My Stars! The Language of Outer Space
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Oh, My Stars! A Solstice Sampler
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Space Science (Astronomy) - Introductory
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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.
Shares of Alphabet closed at an all-time high on Thursday following a stellar earnings report that has investors hyped for its artificial-intelligence opportunity.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 30, 2026
According to the Marine Mammal Center, female stellar sea lions can grow to 9 feet in length and 1,000 pounds.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
Eli Lilly said its tirzepatide franchise had another stellar quarter.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 30, 2026
Instead, investors will be hoping stellar cloud revenue growth is the story.
From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026
Particle physicists have tended to favor the particle explanation of WIMPs, astrophysicists the stellar explanation of MACHOs.
From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson
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.
